Love Is Eternal
by WolvesKey
Summary: Shinko Hoshi is a half-Vampire hybrid; an abomination. She is a subordinate to Akatsuki and is mentored by Hidan and Kakuzu. Being what she is, Shinko lives her life in constant fear, but when danger is only around the corner, who can she turn to for help? Full-Summary inside. HIDANxOC
1. A Gloomy Beginning

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part One: A Gloomy Beginning**

Light steps trod along the dark and gloomy corridor.

The sound echoed off into the darkness.

A door opened, a young woman clad in a black cloak came into the cold prison-cell that was musky with the stomach-turning smell of blood.

Her long white hair trailed after her every movement, her eyes were a bright blue that pierced the darkness as she glared down at her prisoner.

She licked her smooth lips with her tongue, giving the pathetic young man a flash of her pearl-white fangs.

He opened his eyes slowly and whimpered at the hungry expression for blood written on her pale face, knowing full-well that he wouldn't live this time after the excruciating pain.

She moved closer to him in deliberate slow steps that made no noise, almost relishing in the sounds of his whimpering.

The young man tried to move away, but couldn't because of the metal chains that restricted his movements and kept him tied to the wall behind hismelf and all of his chakra was drained from his body by those chains wrapped around him.

The door opposite him was already closed from the inside, and would no doubt remain so, until she's finished with him.

There'd be no escape for him.

His head hung low, but his eyes remained solely focused on the girls' beautiful face, as she inched closer to him in delberate slowness that made him almost scream at her to just get it over with, the torture of having to watch her walk so slowly to him and knowing that his ultimate demise would be anything but pleasant.

Once she was stood infront of him, she bent down until she was on her knees upon the dark cell floor, and began studying him intently with hungry eyes, they roamed all over his body as if he were a piece of art on display in a gallery.

Indeed, she was very beautiful, too beautiful to be thought of as his executioner, but he knew that she wasn't at all what she looked to be, she was a horrid monster, much worse than a leech, sucking all the blood out of the bodies of her victims, not caring who they were or where they came from, she only cared about fulfilling her hunger.

His heartbeat quickened once his drowsy eyes met hers as it always did, this happened everytime she came to his cell, trying to get information out of him, but so far he'd been resistant to the will of this beautiful monster, though, he had nothing to be proud of, since he has so many of her bite-marks upon his neck, shoulders and arms, feasting on his blood slowly.

'I am now under her enchanting spell,' he noted inside his mind as their eyes were held in a deep stare, for it was an enchanting spell, when ever he looked into her eyes he felt his body heat up, his breath shorten and his body freeze, making him unable to move.

The spell that was placed upon him many times over would make any punishment that would've give him pain now give him pleasure, but only when her 'spell', if you'd call it that, was in motion.

He knew this was the last time he was going to breath, he could see his death in her dazzling, shining blue eyes that pierced the darkness of his cell, and it made him remember everything that'd happened to get him in this situation...

**/*\*/*\**

_He'd been spying with his comrades on the Akatsuki's movements for a good three months, they'd gathered very useful information on the Akatsuki from many villages, towns and other spies that'd worked to keep a good eye on particular members of the Akastuki's where-a-bouts, but it weren't enough to locate their base, or meeting point, or more importantly their next plans and motives._

_That's when they'd followed the two Akatsuki members; Itachi and Kisame into a massive cave they'd presumed was their base._

_They'd been following them for days, luckily, they'd gone unnoticed and so far they'd been successful in learning more about their activities and routes they used._

_The entrance had been left wide open, which led them to believe that they were either waiting for the others in their orginization to show, or that they were going deeper into the mountain-side cave._

_Of course, himself and his two comrades were lured into the dark cave, knowing full-well of the dangers that awaited them._

_They were willing to give their lives in order to foil any plans of further Akatsuki activity._

_But, he'd never imagined that it was a trap, an ambush for them, and they-highly skilled Jounin, soon-to-be ANBU had walked right into it, without hesitation or thought that it could've been a trap to begin with._

_Their ignorance had cost them, his two comrades were already dead, one being his wife, the other being his best friend from the Academy in his village._

_They were both tortured and killed infront of his eyes, his wife brutally raped and beaten, for she was always considered brave and was killed immediately after the men had their 'fun' with her, for she never gave out a word of information, and all he could do was watch on in hopeless anger and grief._

_His best friend, only gave out a little information, though it was useless, that to the vigilant Akatsuki members, they grew restless and knew that they'd have to be careful now, incase there were others following them, they couldn't allow their location to be discovered._

**/*\*/*\**

Now, only he remained, left to the mercy of this powerful and beautiful young woman, whom looked no older than nineteen.

He'd learned her name, it was; Shinko, he'd learned it when the other members referred to her, they spoke to her with respect and they too seemed rather distant to her, it wouldn't surprise him that because she drank blood to live that, that was the reason they stayed clear of her.

She bent her head and pressed it gently against his shoulder as she breathed in his scent, he shivered slightly when her mouth pressed against his vulnerable neck, his breathing became fast-as did his heartbeat.

He let out a strangled moan when she licked her delicate tongue against the main artery in the left side of his neck.

She stopped and did it again a minute or so later and got the same results, she smiled slightly against his neck, as she muttered sensously "You are quite good-looking for a human..."

He couldn't think or breath properly, but could only faintly hear the words that hissed out of his mouth on a low groan, "S-stop it! Foul temptress-you are a Demon! Hurry-up and kill me, I will no longer beg at the feet of criminals!"

She leaned-up, unsmiling now, the words having seemed to hit a sensitive nerve of pain that she remembered all-too-well, her left hand ran up from his chest, up his neck and further on up on the right side of his face, she gripped his greasy dark brown hair in her fist, staring at him with lustrous blue eyes that shone through the clinging darkness.

"I have read your mind, I have learned of everything you have done, said and thought of, there is nothing left for me to see," she smirked loudly and then cotninued to mutter "You could say that your downfall was that you never passed the information of Akatsuki's where-a-bouts to anyone else, you've just wasted your time and death."

Reality seemed to hit him for a few moments at this sudden realisation, and he knew she was right, they hadn't told anyone else about what himself and his comrades had seen, they'd just wasted their times and their deaths, they'd died for nothing...

He felt useless and knew now that he'd failed, not only his village, but his friend and dearest wife.

A new thought hit him, how did she know? How could she see everything he'd done?

Her smirk turned to a small smile, she looked innocent, but it was so plainly obvious that she were anything but that.

"Do not worry, you'll be joining them soon, I shall put you out of your misery right now-" She cut herself off and still clutching his head, she yanked it to the right side and sank her fangs into his main artery in his neck.

He writhed against her, as he gasped loudly, and seconds later his guttural screams were breaking the cold silence, a burning hot sensation spread through him like wild-fire, as if he were suffering a fever, making him sweat and pant.

Then just as quick, felt the sudden onslaught of helplessness, his body cooling.

All his chakra, all his energy was being drained away along with his blood, he suddenly turned cold, as if he were wrapped in ice and snow.

Eventually, darkness consumed his thoughts, feeling cold as ice, he faintly heard the slurping sounds of his blood filling her throat, a thin, fresh, red line trickled down his neck and further afield, he drifted off into that comfortable dark void where he knew he'd finally be safe and free; he died.

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko left the match-box sized prison cell and the now dead man, licking away the last drops of blood from her lips.

She closed the huge, metal door behind herself with a loud crash, not even bothering to lock it, knowing full-well that he was dead, she'd drained all of his blood to fulfill her hunger, there'd be no possible way that he could be alive after that.

Unless, he was immortal like herself, but even most immortals could not walk or move without their blood, they'd be useless.

She turned away from the door and found Zetsu walking casually to where she was through the darkness of the dungeons, he paused infront of her, his bright hazel eyes clashing with her bright blue ones through the clinging darkness.

Shinko was the first to break their long stare, as she moved away from the door a little, she muttered "He's all yours."

Zetsu eyed her suspicously from within the thick layer of his fly-trap around him, he was a good one and a half foot taller than herself, though, he knew that her size was only to distract her victims away from the truth of danger, she was a horrid, yet beautiful creature, she was vicious as she was calm.

Still staring down at her, he asked "**Is he dead?** _I hope you didn't damage any of what's left..."_

She stared at him, a little smile curling her lips upwards in sick amusement, she answered quietly "No. I haven't."

As soon as she confirmed the obvious, he was gone in what most humans would express as a blink of an eye, but Shinko had seen him meld into the floor and wall of the cell, travelling through it and onto the otherside, without having to open the door.

Her abilities made situations useful to her and watching him in what could only be described as slow-motion.

She didn't need to turn or press her ear against the wall to hear the sounds of bones breaking and flesh being ripped from the young mans' body, she knew Zetsu fed upon dead bodies, in fact, he was very useful in the Akatsuki, he was a spy and also cleaned up after the other members.

She smiled wide now, those sounds made her feel happy, knowing that pathetic human got what he deserved, especially after he brought up terrible memories of past experiences that she thought she'd long since repressed to the recesses of her mind.

It appeared that weren't so, she sighed, knowing she was going to have to try harder to not let her anger run away with her so much.

She then took her cue to leave and left Zetsu alone, down in the prisons, whilst he ate his meal.

She made for the surface world, climbing the stairs from the prisons below and made her way above ground, where there would be more humans, more prey and...sunlight.

She frowned at the thought, of course she could walk into the sunlight, though, she couldn't stay out in it for more than two days at a time, but she felt thankful that she weren't a full-Vampire.

Otherwise, she'd be killed instantly by the sun, but, never the less, she'd be slowed down by 'Heat-Syndrome', depending on how long she was out in the heat of the sun, something she'd always tried to avoid before now, and only ended up in those situations at the worst of times, mainly when she had to go on week-long missions with her two senpai's.

'Heat-Syndrome', was exclusive only to hybrids such as herself, it only affects Dhampire's, when Dhampire's are exposed to too much sunlight, over their limit, they will either break-out into a blood-lust, feeding frenzy, killing everything in their path or they must bury themselves a deep hole into the ground and cover themselves from the sunlight for at least twelve hours in a hope to not lash-out and kill anyone.

It was a pain in the arse, but she'd managed to cope, even more so since she has never needed to worry about that, Leader always made sure that her bloodlust was kept under control, so that she didn't lash-out and kill some of the members just because she was hungry and unable to control her rage.

So far, she'd just about resisted the urge to kill some of them, for their mouths ran away with them more often than she cared for, calling each other all sorts of names under the sun, before, they'd realised they'd stepped over the mark.

Shinko continued climbing up the many stairs, making no noise as she did this, aiming to come out from the prisons from below ground and go off into her bedroom, wanting to rest.

However, she stopped at the top step and sniffed the air slightly, feeling chakra on the otherside of the door, she recognized the scent instantly, rolling her eyes and opened the door in what humans would call super-speed.

It was Tobi, naturally standing outside the door, and once he noticed it was herself, he began shivering, he seemed to have shrunk away from her, she knew it was because he was afraid of herself, she could smell it.

"Uhh...Hello, S-Shinko, T-Tobi is looking f-for Zetsu...i-is Zetsu down there?" Tobi whimpered slightly, though didn't move away from her, he just stood there looking at her, waiting for an answer.

She stared hard at him with her bright blue eyes, as she motioned a hand towards the dark stairs, indicating he was down below, she answered calmly "He's busy having a meal, so I suggest you leave him alone, before he decides to have _you_ for a meal."

With that she slammed the door behind herself in super-speed that was so natural to her that she hardly noticed it anymore, but Tobi noticed that and jumped, she smirked slightly and turning she walked away briskly towards her room, not even giving the scared Tobi another glance.

She heard him from the end of the hallway opening the door quietly and closed it behind himself just as quietly, he'd no doubt wonder down to Zetsu, whom was still busy eating, for she could still faintly hear him chewing on the flesh of their prisoner, once again it made her smile.

Shinko walked along the twisting, dark hallways, her eyes still that piercing light blue as she looked through the darkness, giving her a clear view of where to walk amidst the dark and gloomy corridors of the Akatsuki Base.

Her ability to see in the dark made it so much easier to navigate through the winding, black corridors.

She could hear everything that was going on inside each room she passed, of course she only had to pass Deidara, Sasori and Tobi's room before she got to hers.

Sasori she could hear was fiddling with a puppet, Deidara wasn't in his room, he was in the bathroom that he shared with Tobi and Sasori, though she could hear a faint breeze coming in from an open window.

And there was nothing going on in Tobi's room, for he was down in the prisons.

Once at her door, she frowned when she heard praying coming form within the room and another voice upon that one too, one that was counting money.

Shinko opened the door once again in blinding speed, that the poor door almost flew off it's hinges, she was now staring down at Hidan whom was cross-legged on the dark flooring, praying to himself, whilst on the desk in the corner of the room was Kakuzu, greedily counting his money carefully.

Both stopped and stared at her quietly when she entered the room, slamming the door behind herself, that the lights on the walls flickered and Kakuzu's money piles of money wobbled, though didn't fall over, for they were stacked in neat, strong, golden, piles.

She stared at them with cold, bright eyes, the room itself was very dark, and she almost scoffed at the sight.

Once again, they were doing the exact same thing the day before yesterday, the day before that and the day before that, it was so boring and repetitive that Shinko easily revised the times and now knew when to go into the room and when not too.

Because Hidan's rituals often involved him self-harming himself, which then led to blood being spilled on the floor, this would then cause Shinko's bloodlust to unleash and she would end-up killing those around herself, of course, she couldn't kill Hidan, he was immortal too.

But she could certainly kill the others.

It was strange how Leader never seemed to ponder over whether it were a suitable decision to have her share a small lounge room with Hidan and Kakuzu, having their bedrooms next to hers.

"Have you finished your meal?" Kakuzu asked wearily, he rested his hands upon the desk and looked at her with tired eyes, she knew he'd been counting all day, and she weren't surprised that he had to focus on the costs of how much each of the members would need for each mission that was granted to them.

Shinko nodded, eyes glowing, she gave him a small smile and answered "Yes."

"Okay, now you can just fucking well bugger off." Hidan growled sending her a dark look.

She returned one back at him, since she knew she had every right to be in the room as he did, despite how rude she'd been in interrupting their daily activities.

"I don't see why I should leave just because you ask, Hidan-_kun_." She smirked as she saw him shiver, the word 'kun' rolling on her tongue, and he no doubt felt creeped out, but his anger was swiftly back.

"Don't fucking call me that, bitch!" He snapped, turning his head away as he seemed to sulk to himself.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes at Hidan's behaviour, turning round back to his desk, he began once more counting his money, going off into his own little world that not even Tobi or Leader could get him out of.

She calmly walked over to where Hidan was at upon the floor and she bent down towards him, his head turned and stared at her suspiciously, her bright blue eyes clashed with his stormy megenta ones, only to have his mouth go slack, he was now caught under her spell, just as the other man had been back down in that cell, she could hear his heartbeat racing, his breathing becoming slightly laboured, she smiled slightly, trying to ignore the sound of his blood flowing through his veins, she didn't doubt that his blood was warm, probably hot, and she'd love to lap it up like a kitten more than anything in the world, but she had to restrict herself from the temptation.

She lifted a hand and stroked his right cheek, he was caught in her gaze, mesmerized and totally enthralled by her abilities and beauty.

She muttered sensously, whilst stroking his cheek gently "You know what would happen if I were to continue? I would drain you of your blood, don't try to get on my bad-side, I've done it before, and I'll do it again."

And with that, Shinko tore her gaze from his, and was gone from the room within a blink of an eye, her speed in-human because of what she was, she'd escaped to her bedroom after fighting the internal battle to drink Hidan's blood, and had escaped successfully, right on time, but for what cost?

**To be continued...**

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	2. Things of the Past

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Two: Things of the Past**

Hidan sat on the dark floor, he was sat there having already finished his prayer, he was now glaring at the door to Shinko's bedroom, still feeling confused and annoyed about what'd just taken place, he couldn't nail it down on what it was that'd made his stomach do that intense flip, but he knew he didn't like it, for one thing, it made him feel rather sick and for another he didn't understand those sort of emotions, having only being content with his wants and needs, he'd never had to think of anyone elses.

He looked down at his hand that was rested upon his stomach, only now that she'd left the room did it settle down, and it made him wonder whether she was doing it deliberately to make him feel ill, he then sent another glare to her door, almost daring her to come out of her room.

After a few moments of that being unsuccessful, he looked around their lounge room, coming in from the cold corridors outside would lead you to what Hidan, Kakuzu and Shinko called their 'living area' or lounge room, which was filled with a T.V., a sofa, a bookcase for Shinko, a desk and chair for Kakuzu and a comfy mat on the floor for Hidan, where he'd often commence his prayers.

There was only a small mirror that hung upon the walls which was located opposite the window, a little further away from the entrance to their lounge room, it was a good thing it was a safe distance from the door which often swung open when Hidan had a tiring day or when Shinko wasn't in a cheerful mood, Kakuzu had specifically stated that he didn't want to replace anything that got damaged or broken, since he didn't want to spend anymore money than was necessary.

Hidan had then complained about the room looking too plain and boring, though, both Kakuzu and Shinko didn't even bother to answer to that, since they knew no matter what they said, he'd just complain for the sake of complaining, it gave him something to do, but he did it too often for his own liking.

Once inside the 'living area', there are four other doors, each leading to a seperate bedroom, the bedroom on the exact left belonged to Shinko, she had a typical 'Keep-out' sign written in only what could be thought of as blood and since her door was always being slammed so she had at least seven hinges on her door to stop it from hanging off balance.

The door directly opposite the exit/entrance from/to the 'living area', was Hidan's room, his door had the typical Jashin symbol of his necklace written on the outside of his door in his own blood, stating that he was a strict believer of his religion and that no one was allowed to enter, his door also had scratch marks from where his scythe would catch into the wood as he entered and left the room, seeing as he rarely took the damn-thing off.

Then there was the bathroom they all shared, this being in-between Hidan and Kakuzu's bedrooms.

Then bedroom on the far-right, was Kakuzu's room, his door had a 'Do not disturb' sign dangling from a small piece of rope from his door-knob, it was cheap and tacky, which suited Kakuzu fine, as seeming as he was so money-obsessed, even now, he was still counting his money to himself, not even paying attention to Hidan, though he did pay attention to Shinko-but, only because she'd nearly knocked off the money Kakuzu had counted from the table with her in-human strength, he'd just remembered that Leader had told him to not take his anger out on the half-Vamp unless he wanted an early grave, having never fought against a Vampire of any kind, he took it as a wise decision not to infuriate the girl, though, he couldn't say the same for his comrade.

Hidan muttered a few curses towards Kakuzu, knowing full-well that the other man couldn't hear him, he remarked out loud at how greedy he was, this still did not get a reaction, and Hidan huffed to himself, still muttering insults and curses at the older man.

Hidan wouldn't even be surprised when and if Kakuzu dies that Leader wouldn try to take and use his money for their goals of world domination, blah-blah-blah.

Coming off that thought, since he knew that he didn't enjoy thinking about the stitch-nin, unless it involved him dying, he thought back to the girl and sent another glare to her bedroom door, it still hadn't opened since she'd come in and distracted them, it then made him realise that even though the signs were up, none of them actually bothered much about whether one of them came into each other's rooms-apart from Shinko.

She always had her own door bolted up tight, it was obvious that she didn't want anyone in her room, but, he couldn't help but wonder why, why did she always hide away in there? What did she do in there?

Thoughts of fine lace and silk coverings over a dressing table and her double-bed, soft creamy walls and curtains, well-kept furniture that was probably polished twice a day, china dolls or teddy bears of all shapes and sizes row-upon-row stacked upon shelves in order of colour and no doubt she probably had a fucking glass container with equal small posh, wine glasses that would contain blood.

He scoffed at the thought and almost snorted out loud, girls and their fucking pansy-arsed girly-things, like thrills and ribbons, it made him want to gag at the thought.

It wouldn't surprise him if that were true, for he remembered when Shinko had first joined them, she was a very quiet girl whom had a virulent power and nature, she appeared soft and kind, but even then she'd still been a vicious little bitch.

He sighed heavily to himself, she'd grown-up so fast, sometimes he wished she could've remained that way just for a good few more years, for when she was younger himself or Kakuzu used to read to her or endure long conversations about absolutely nothing, they hadn't minded one bit, he missed doing that, since now he had to listen to the stupid fucking silence, Kakuzu hardly spoke and when he did it was about money or some bills and even Shinko barely spoke, she'd only come out of her room to feed, maybe pick a book to read by herself, join everyone at the table for meetings then lock herself in her room again.

It was as if she were afraid to be near anyone.

Something went wrong somewhere.

Somehow, she'd gone from a chatty, often shy kid to a unemotional, violent and beauiful young woman-wait, he seriously didn't think that...right?

Well, okay, he could admit she was beautiful, powerful and downright moody at times, but, he couldn't help but wish for the little girl who'd joined four years back and how she used to always be proud of her accomplishments, how she used to always show them her drawings or a technique.

Hidan felt as though he were a parent, but, at the same time not, since he hated kids, but, Shinko was alright, he had been harsh with his words towards her in the past, even when she was growing-up, but, he did soften a bit-though, he would never admit that out loud, he agreed with Kisame when he thought she was a good kid.

But, now...

Hidan shook his head, there's no point in thinking about these thoughts, it was all in the past now, something had gone wrong somewhere along the line, he couldn't figure it out and didn't understand where, but he knew that she would never be that cheerful little girl ever again, she'd grown-up and the world was harsh, the Akatsuki and their line-of-work even more so.

It made him feel really old just thinking about it, though in reality he weren't no older than twenty-two, besides, Shinko couldn't be a kid forever and if anything she's more mature and intelligent now, so that's definitely a plus.

At least she wasn't annoying as Tobi-that much was a garunteed plus for himself and Kakuzu.

He shook his head once more, it weren't good to think about the past, it made him feel too much, picking up his rosary, he coninued with his prayers to Jashin, muttering words that others wouldn't understand, for after all they were only human.

**/*\*/*\**

It was much later that evening.

Everyone was gathered in the dining room, eating dinner, they were all sat around the table in the usual seating plan.

Leader at the head of the table, on his right was Konan, then a spare chair for Sasori during meetings, since he couldn't eat anything, then it was Kisame and Itachi, Tobi sat at the other end of the table for some unkown reason, but, he'd whined when he weren't allowed to sit, Leader allowed him to sit there instead of Konan just to keep him quiet.

On Leader's left was a spare chair for Shinko for the meetings, then Hidan, Kakuzu and Deidara another spare chair where Zetsu would sit during meetings and also to keep Tobi under control.

Everyone was accounted for apart from Sasori since he couldn't eat food, Shinko since her only source of food was drinking blood and Zetsu because he was a cannibal, he obviously weren't allowed to bring dead bodies to the table.

Shinko was still in her bedroom since she'd entered it earlier, Sasori was still in his room repairing his puppets and Zetsu was away on another mission.

No one rarely spoke at dinner, most of them were ignoring each other, knowing that if one of them broke the silence then all Hell would break loose, arguments and debates would ensue, Tobi being the one to start it off, followed by Deidara shouting at him to shut up, then Itachi would comment on his reckless attitude-much as Sasori would if he were in the room, Diedara would shout back, Kisame would defend Itachi and laugh at Deidara's frustration, then Hidan would laugh and call Deidara and Tobi names, they would then shout back, Kakuzu would comment on Hidan's vulgar language and remind him that he's not a kid, Hidan would then shout back in defense, Shinko would roll her eyes, Zetsu would tell Tobi to calm down, Konan would snap at Hidan and Diedara telling them to be quiet, and then after more arguing, Leader would bellow at them that they were to be silent or they would be sent to their rooms or wouldn't receive any money for a week, since they had weekly sums of money come in for each member ready to save up for anything they personally needed or missions.

Once dinner was over, Konan took the plates out into the kitchen and washed them, whilst Leader and the other members went off to where ever they usually chill-out, when they weren't on missions or when they weren't in a meeting with Leader.

Kakuzu and Hidan went back to their 'living area', knowing they'd find something better to do in there than they would with the other members, since most of them would complain that they wanted to sit on the sofa or watch a certain channel on the flat screen T.V. in the main lounge room where they'd all congrigate together, maybe once in a blue-moon, which was very rare.

Once they'd returned to their lounge room, they both let out a sigh of relief, Hidan was sat on his mat once more, since it was the sort of material that soaked up blood, well, he only had to wash every fucking day, but, Leader had made sure he would learn to do that, else there'd be no telling what the Dhampire would be capable of, it was then that Kakuzu had agreed, stating he would not buy another one if Shinko were to rip it up in her hunger.

They wouldn't admit to the other that they were relieved in any way, because they certainly weren't the best of friends, but, tolerated each other because they were living with each other in such a suffocating environment.

The 'living area' was still surprisingly very dark, the lights were off-as they were when they'd left the room, Kakuzu had tidied away his money before going in for dinner and Hidan had placed his scythe in his room before leaving.

Nothing was out of place, which told them the half-Vamp hadn't left her room since then.

Kakuzu was going to his room to get some bills that the Akatsuki had received, when they both heard something crash in Shinko's room.

They didn't know what it was, but, it sounded heavy, very heavy, enough for them to stare at her door silently for a few moments, before rushing to her room, though, they didn't open the door, both afraid of what would happen to themselves if they did.

"Hidan, open the door." Kakuzu muttered as he glanced from the door to Hidan then back to the door again.

Hidan glared at Kakuzu, knowing that he was afraid of Shinko, but Hidan wasn't afraid of her, though he had little reason to be, as seeming as he was immortal when Kakuzu wasn't.

"No! Why don't you open the fucking door?!" Hidan hissed at Kakuzu, still wearing a glare.

"Are you mad?! I don't wanna' die today, besides, if she hurt you, you'd enjoy it!" Kakuzu snapped at Hidan.

Hidan felt a heat climbing to his cheeks at the thought of Shinko hurting him, which would cause him pleasure, it almost...turned him on.

"You won't die! She wouldn't kill us! We fucking raised her for the past four fucking years!" Hidan snapped back at the other man who was now almost trembling at the thought of having all of his blood being drained from his body, and worst of all, thinking that he'd _enjoy_ it.

"I know that! But you never know! What if she's hungry?!" Kakuzu started to conjure up all sorts of images in his head, not liking any of them, made him panic a little at the thought.

What would she do?

How would she kill him?

Slow? Quick? Painful? Or painless?

"She already fed earlier! What makes you think she'd want someone like you? When there are fucking other _younger_ shits out there?!" Hidan roared, feeling like slapping Kakuzu out of the state he was in, though, he had to admit, it was very rare to see Kakuzu like this, like he was almost...scared, it amused Hidan, well, it would, if Kakuzu weren't being such a big pussy.

"Are you both quite finished yelling outside my door?"

They both went very still, turning round slowly, they saw Shinko standing behind themselves, staring at them coldly with those bright blue eyes of hers, wearing an emotionless expression-as usual.

"Uhh...we heard a crash coming from your room, we were wondering if you were alrig-" Shinko cut Kauzu's slightly concerned voice by stating harshly "You heard nothing. It was both of your imaginations."

Hidan glared at Shinko in anger and almost shouted "We did hear a fucking crash! And don't speak to us like that! We're only fucking concerned-bitch!"

Shinko stared hard at him, then turned, slamming her bedroom door shut, she walked briskly out of the 'living area' and into the cold and gloomy corridors outside, slamming the other door with in-human speed again, this time made both men jump and nearly had the walls collapsing around them.

The two men looked at each other in slight confusion, Kakuzu merely shook his head and shrugged, walking back to his room and Hidan looked back at the closed door and sighed in annoyance.

What made her snap like that?

What were they going to do with her?

**To be continued...**

**!!REVEIW!!**


	3. Alone at Last?

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Three: Alone at last?**

Shinko speed-walked from her, Hidan and Kakuzu's living quarters in what would appear to many others as if she were running, because of her incredible speed.

The endless corridors didn't help the fact that she wanted to go outside and feel the fresh night air against her cool, snow-white skin, to just relax and think over everything.

The Base itself was feeling rather like a cage to her, she'd been trapped inside for more then a week, now, she needed to get out and have some of her own personal space, but, that was very unlikely, since the world was crawling with humans; pathetic little creatures that want to rid herself and her grandfather from this world, only because they feared them, it was amazing what fear could do to such stupid creatures, though, before she'd joined the Akatsuki, herself and her grandfather lived a very docile life.

They'd only gone out to feed when needed to, and at other times they'd stayed within their mansion, educating themselves in all different types of subjects, fighting and many other important skills that'd been trained and perfected to the very top of their standards.

They didn't find pleasure in murdering other creatures, they just needed to get by, they needed blood to live, it weren't their fault, they just needed to survive.

It was this, that was causing her to snap and become agressive to others.

She missed her grandfather terribly, his wisdom and power, knowing that she was safe where she was because of what they were, he was stronger than her, she didn't doubt that, he was everything she wanted to be, he was the best; elite.

Undying and beautiful, a wondrous creature of the night, hers alone, her grandfather, her protector, her saviour, he always came to her when she was struggling, he always thought of her before himself, he loved her dearly, as much as she loved him, and she was devastated not being able to see him, touch him or taste him.

It weren't the same, living here was horrible, she hated it, they all thought of her as a monster, used her for her abilities and ostracised her most of the time, thinking nothing of her but that horrid Dhampire that will suck your blood if you don't keep an eye out for her in your bedroom at night.

Pfft! As if!

She made it a personal point to _never_ enter anyone elses bedroom, unless, she wanted to suffer the consequences-or the other way around.

But, lately, ever since...

She's been having to look over her shoulder, be extra-careful and hide any evidence that she was ever around because _they_ would eventually come for her, and when they did, there'd be at least ten of them, all skilled and most likely about as powerful as she was.

Her _immortality_; if you could call it that, was stronger and more resistant to the type of errors of a normal Vampire's true immortality, if she was sprayed with Holy water, she'd be severely burned and maybe scarred for life, if she was stabbed through the heart by a stake, Shinko would actually survive it and live to breath again, considering she is only a half-breed, it wouldn't ultimately destroy her, as it did for many others.

She could still see herself in mirrors, could walk out in the sunlight and could drink and bathe in water whenever she wished too.

She had it good really, except that she was a half-breed, because of that, she didn't know where she belonged in the world, what she was supposed to do, feel or think.

She knew now that she definitely needed time to think and sort out her head.

Shinko looked to her left when she came out into the open-planned lounge room, this was the place that most of the Akatsuki members chose to relax and chat amongst each other, this was also where she could see, smell and hear Konan, Sasori, Itachi and Kisame watching a film, it was an action film, much to the liking of Kisame and Konan, but, bored Itachi and Sasori beyond words.

How did she know this?

She could smell it and sense it, even though they were in another room to her, her ability to sense, smell, hear and taste was truly remarkable, and left many humans astounded.

Humans were always easy to amuse.

They were debating over which film was better, what was good and bad about them, the actors, cliché moments and so on.

This conversation amused Shinko so much so, that she stood there-like a statue, smiling to herself, visible to their prying eyes, though, they didn't bother to look at her, Itachi and maybe Sasori knew she was there because of her chakra, but, Konan and Kisame were too busy chattering away to focus on their surroundings.

She was eaves-dropping their conversation, despite how rude it was, she couldn't help but wonder what human's found so interesting when conversing about something so...boring and pointless.

They seemed to be all totally oblivious to her presence, until, Konan got up from an armchair on the far-side of the room, which had inevetibally been secluding her from the others-after all, talking was not Konan's forte.

Once she'd looked away from the still debating males, that wouldn't let up on who was right in their assumptions of a decent film, did Konan see Shinko stood there, not moving, just staring at them quietly, with those bright eyes of hers.

Konan jumped and gave a slight shriek from shock, which immediately stopped the others from their conversation, turn and look in Shinko's direction with slightly confused and nervous looks.

"Shinko...I wish you wouldn't do that!" Konan scolded her, as she pressed a hand to her heart, trying to slow her breathing and heartbeat down to normal levels once more.

Shinko just stared at them, silently for a few moments, then glancing at Konan, she muttered "Take deep breaths...your heart will definitely slow down then..."

Konan's body went stiff, she looked up at Shinko in slight horror, hoping that the younger girl didn't mean for her to be her next victim and she backed away a couple of steps, hoping the half-Vamp won't jump for her neck.

"No. I don't intend for that to happen." Shinko answered aloud the question that formed within Konan's head, which then caused Konan to scowl at her in annoyance.

"D-don't read my mind! It's rude!" Konan stated with as much courage as possible, knowing full-well that it could be her life on the line when dealing with a Hybrid.

Shinko just shrugged carelessly, already bored with the older woman, then stared at the now quiet men, they averted their gazes immediately once they met hers, apart from Kisame.

He wouldn't, because he was a friend to her, well, as much as a human can be friends with a Dhampire that is.

They'd both grown close during a mission once, when her skills were really needed, it was at a time when Itachi's eyes had given him so much trouble that he couldn't see properly for a couple of days and became violently sick because he overused his Sharingan.

Kisame was a fun sparring-buddy and they both respected each other for what they were, both, never questioning each other on how they acted or what they were.

Ever since then, they'd both participate in small-talk, becoming civil to each other and they both held respect for each other, since they were both considered to be; monsters.

Shinko understood this and sympathised with him, stating that human's could be so heartless, and he'd agreed.

They'd been friends ever since.

Their gazes held, until Shinko smirked, pulling her bright blue gaze from Kisame's, she looked at Konan and as she walked away in deliberate slow steps, she stated "You can get a drink now...I won't be back for a good hour or more..."

Then disappeared into the darkness of the hallways, but, it weren't the darkness that made her disappear, it was another one of Shinko's amazing abilities that came with her Hybrid powers, she was able to turn invisible.

There she escaped to her secret place...

**/*\*/*\**

She was at her favourite place.

Other than the home she had originally grown-up and had gotten used to, this was her second favourite place to be.

It was a few miles from the Base, a huge deep lake surrounded by the forest that covered most of the area.

It was a very peaceful place that Shinko had come to love, a place where no one or nothing could possibly touch her or hear her cries of sorrow or her snarls of anger.

Her bright gaze searched around the lake for signs of life, her hearing was intact and listened out for the slightest movement, her nose sniffed the air frequently, once again she had to be vigilant of her sourroundings, since the Jounin that'd stumbled into the trap that Itachi and Kisame had pre-warned the other members to create, since they'd been followed for a week, the other members were made to be careful, so that their location weren't given away.

The moon was far off in the darkness of the night, clouds covered the sky, hiding away all of the twinkling dots that were stars.

The wind had picked-up, but she could no longer feel it now, she was used to the cold, having spent many aimless nights out here, and sometimes when hunting for prey she'd be welcomed by blistering winds and torrential downpours that didn't even stop the blood-crazed Dhampire.

Once she felt certain that no one was around, she sat down near the black lake that portrayed the moons glow in the night-sky.

She lifted her knees to her chest, her arms folded over the top and rested upon them, then eventually, she rested her head upon her arms and stared blankly at the lake with sad, blue eyes that pierced the darkness.

Shinko sighed to herself, feeling a little guilty for snapping at Kakuzu and Hidan like she had, for she'd heard the whole conversation.

And it was true; they did practically raise her for the past four years.

They were always there, always listened, laughed and even trained with her until they collapsed from exhuastion.

Apart from Kisame, they were and still _are_ the only ones to care about her well-being and actually _talk_ to her.

She shut her bright eyes and knew that she'd have to apologize to them when she got back-if they still wanted to talk to her by then, she'd been rude and they were only concerned for her safety and well-being.

Were they what humans called...'friends'?

She stiffened slightly, had she unbeknownst to her, made friends in the dismal Akatsuki?

The thought confused her and she sat there for many silent minutes, focused on when they'd started to become friends, was it when she woke up one night crying for her grandfather that Kakuzu had come in and calmed her down, explaining to her why she was there and that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her?

That much were true, Kakuzu had been the perfect suurogate grandfather to her, well, he certainly was old enough in her opinion, she thought with a mental cheeky grin.

Was it when she was training that Hidan had come along and practised with her, whilst chatting and laughing?

Was it when both the males took it in-turns to read to her each night to make sure she didn't get those nightmares back?

Was it when Hidan managed to persuade Kakuzu to let them stay in a hotel because of her inability to stay out in the sun for no more than two days?

Or was it when Kakuzu had trusted her enough to look after his money, from a previous bounty mission, whilst he had to go and find somewhere decent to stay himself?

A smile broke out upon her features, they'd been there for her, through thick-and-thin and she'd repaid them by acting like a spoilt little bitch.

How did they feel?

Did they feel hate towards her now, since she pushed everyone away?

No. She could at least believe they wouldn't hate her, not now, not yet, she still needed them, and they'd always be her friends for old-times sake...right?

She shook her head faintly, she was confused, but she knew that as soon as she apologised to them, they'd forgive her...

Or that's what she hoped would happen, but, for now, she couldn't go back just yet, not when she lifted her head and knew there was someone approaching towards her through the trees.

She kept her back to whom she'd already identified, not really feeling that talkative right at the moment.

She heard him stop when he'd found her, heard him when he moved towards her slowly, she didn't move, still kept her eyes closed and listened to his heartbeat, the rush of blood flowing the through his veins, his slightly un-even breathing and his light-ish footsteps that tredded through the grass quietly.

He moved an arm to his belt, pulled something out, jumped towards her and within a split second; rammed the stake down to where she was sitting.

When the young man realized that she had moved away, it was nearly too late.

"You are a Demon Hunter? You look quite young and very fresh." Shinko growled to him, her now hungry, bright-blue eyes stared at him from behind the young Hunter, almost smirking when he stiffened, obviously surprised by her speed.

He'd definitely underestimated her.

He turned around swiftly and glared hard at her, thrusting his arm outwards, aiming to strike her chest which she quickly dodged and moved to the edge of the lake to his right, still watching him with a gleaming gaze of pure hunger and power, that even caused the young Hunter to shiver slightly at how enchanting she looked with the dark lake set against her as a background, the moon shining upon the water that was rippling from the wind.

He straightened and stood where he was, his arms dangled loosely down at his sides, he smirked at her and stated confidently "Yes. I am your executioner tonight. It's finally nice to meet you, Shinko Hoshi."

She raised an eyebrow in amusement and muttered "Am I supposed to be bowing and thanking you? Because I won't, foolish boy."

His green gaze hardened at that, anger seeped into his features, turning his once slightly good-looking features to that of a monster, that many have described as one of her own kind.

"I'll have you know, that I am no mere child, I can assure _you _of that." He hissed coldly, his long black cape flitted about him in the breeze that'd had strangely calmed down at some pace, his hand gripped even harder onto the wooden stake that was half the size of a tennis racket.

"I don't care what you are, you are a Human, such creatures do _not_ understand the feelings of others, they are selfish and heartless, I have seen it in many facades, do not believe that I am ignorant." Shinko purred back calmly, not even fazed at the stake in his hand, the flask of Holy water amongst his belt compartments, with other weapons to fight against Vampires and Demons alike.

He let out a roar of anger and lunged towards her, at the last moment, just before he touched her, she jumped twenty metres into the air, then landed gracefully down near the trees, and smirked when she heard a huge splash coming from within the lake.

She turned and waited, leaning against a tree, folding her arms, still wearing a smirk as she saw him slowly crawl out of the freezing, dark lake, shivering and cursing.

'Damn! She's good!' He thought to himself, as he got up slowly and wiped his shoulder-length red hair from his eyes.

"Thank you, though, I can hardly say the same for you, you are weak for a Demon Hunter. I was expecting more of a challenge from you." Shinko sighed wistfully, and with in-human speed she moved from her casual stance and then suddenly had the young man pinned down to the grassy floor, gleaming hungrily down at him, she could read the fear in his green eyes and smell it from his blood.

She was gripping hard on his wrists, the stake fell out of his hand idly as he groaned in pain from her in-human strength, fearing that if he didn't let go, then she'd break his wrists, and being in the position he was, he knew he would not be able to defend himself.

She leaned down to him, licking her sensual lips and muttered "What is your name boy?"

He stared at her with glassy eyes and snapped out his answer "Niiro Youchi, why?"

She grinned at him, revealing her pearl-white fangs, as she muttered casually "Because I know your clan has been after mine and the werewolf clan for centuries. I will bring an end to it. You'll be the first-" Shinko cut off as she sank her teeth into his arm, sucking away his energy and chakra, that rested within his blood, she greedily lapped it up like a kitten with milk.

He screamed out in pain, writhing against her, trying to throw her off of him, but wasn't succeeding, since she felt like dead-weight against him, despite her height and thin body.

The pain was constant and stung like a thousand wasps against his skin, he feared that any moment he'd explode from the intensity of what he was feeling.

"D-don't...I d-don't wanna'...d-die!" He cried out, as if he were having one of those moments where you see your life flitting before your eyes.

Knowing that if he didn't do something, he'd die by a Demon, he suddenly with some unknown strength that must've been locked away from within his body, threw her from him and into a few trees, by shoving her with his arms and kicking her with his legs, sitting up, he saw her crash into and then they fell upon her.

Niiro sat up, swaying in his movements, that last burst of strength had cost him dearly, for now his energy and chakra had plummetted even further.

He needed to think of a plan and get away from this place and this highly-skilled half-Vampire without getting himself killed.

Niiro knew it was a mistake coming to challenge and hope to kill Shinko, he was rather inexprienced in the way of a Demon Hunter, he knew he needed to practise and learn a whole lot more before he was ready to take on any Demon.

He'd been reckless and wanted to prove to his clan; the 'Youchi' clan that he was worth something, it was all because his father had died by a werewolf, he'd been grief-stricken and angered by his father's death, he loved his father and still missed him terribly, but he wanted to honour his memory.

However, his mother had prevented himself from continuing with the Demon training, she was frightened that she'd lose her son as well, she didn't want Niiro to die an early death like her husband had done, though, that was until recently, when his mother had died as well.

He was alone, an orphan, but, he'd continued with his training and had gone off by himself without permission or notification of where he was going or what he was doing, he knew if his clan found out, then he'd be in deep-shit.

He was so stupid.

A few noises were heard from where Shinko had been thrown, the pile of three oak trees that lay upon her began trembling a little, then suddenly, they were thrown at him in such speed and strength, that in his half-dead state he couldn't dodge them easily, the wood hit into him in full-force, sending him back into the water, where he slowly floated towards the bottom.

Shinko stood-up with little ease, brushing herself down, then clicking her shoulder back into place, she glared hard at where he'd fallen down into the lake, knowing this was not going to be good.

In fact, the situation had turned completely sour.

**To be continued...**

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	4. Threats, Spies and Punishments

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Four: Threats, spies and punishments**

Shinko glared at where Niiro had fallen into the water.

She knew things would get much worse if he died, if that happened, then the whole Youchi clan would be after her, the Demon hunters were very well-known for holding grudges and making sure that if any of their clan members were to die, then they'd avenge their deaths.

Shinko rolled her eyes at the thought, she didn't want to deal with those freaks at the moment, she had better things to do than fight those pests.

The problem was, once they were going to kill a target, they never gave up that target, they would kill them no matter what would happen, they were so persistant it was sickening.

She decided then that it was best to keep him alive and make him be her personal messenger, she would warn them not to hurt her, and hopefully, this would be a good-enough warning to keep them from hurting her grandfather any further.

Since that was the reason he begged Hidan and Kakuzu to take her back to the Akatsuki with them, they were to keep her safe and train her, he warned them not to hurt her in anyway, since she was still a vicious little bitch, despite her age and size at the time.

She sighed in annoyance and walked casually upon the dark water of the lake, moving in wide strides, that to her, she thought she was walking slowly.

Glancing down at where he'd fallen, she knew she'd have loved to have killed him, but she knew the risks it entailed, and she didn't plan to have the youchi clan on her trail for the rest of her eternal life, she just needed a personal messenger to go back to his clan and show them just what she was capable of, so that they'd leave her alone.

She saw something moving from within the water, and jumped backwards onto normal ground when Niiro threw himself at her from the water, still clutching a stake in his hands once more.

She twisted her body, so that he missed her completely, grabbed his arm that held the stake and with one swift movement broke it.

He let out a harsh cry of pain and dropped the stake again helpless at the power of this beautiful and young Demon.

She glared at him, her eyes piercing his soul as he continued to whimper in helpless pain that wouldn't fade, considering how she held onto him.

She felt a little pissed that she was about to save him when he just wanted to kill her.

With her other free hand she lifted it to his face, turning his head to look up at her properly, she smiled slightly with satisfaction that she'd gotten his attention.

Hie weary eyes glanced at her, small tears fell from his eyes, he didn't want to die, not in pain, his father had been ripped apart-that was what he was told by his mother who'd forbidden him from a Demon Hunter's life.

His mother who'd loved his father only wanted to see him live, but now, he might not make it for another few minutes let alone another day.

He sent a silent apology to his mother that he didn't heed her wise decision and one to his father that he'd failed so badly.

"Your mother is dead? And your father? An orphan, I see...you are the runt of the clan, I presume." She licked the blood-his blood from her lips calmly, still smiling slightly at him, her eyes still shone in a beautiful bright blue through the clinging darkness.

He didn't answer, instead, whimpered as he looked on at the Dhampire in defeat.

Yes, he was the runt of the clan, but they still cared for him as their own, after the death of his mother, they'd demanded that he join their career as a Demon Hunter, if not, then he'd be cast out of the clan, homeless, penniless and irrevocably alone.

He hadn't liked being a Demon Hunter, but still felt a little proud that he was continuing what his father had originally enjoyed doing.

"Forced into it? Nowhere to go? Listen to me, Niiro, get out of it while you still can, that's the only advise you'll hear from me. And when you do, don't _ever_ come back to find me." She raked her fingernails across his face, causing four visible scratch marks to appear, more blood dripped down from his face, and she helpless to the sight and temptation, bent down and licked it away gently from his cheek, he shivered in response to this.

Once she straightened, unsmiling, she tossed him to the ground, staring coldly down at him, she hissed "Tell your Master that I am no mere Dhampire, what happened with you tonight was just a warm-up exercise, next time, whoever is sent won't be so lucky, even if you send twenty, I will _not_ hesitate in killing you all. If you continue to hunt me then I'll slaughter and drain each and every one of you until you're all passed the afterlife!"

And on those bitter words she disappeared from his vision, he fell unconscious, and knew that he was lucky, but that he would most definitely give-up his job, for unlike his relatives, he wanted to live, and live he will do!

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko moved through the darkness, invisible to all and deadly silent.

They'd come for him, either it be Tracker Ninja or some other Demon Hunters from the 'Youchi' clan, they'd come and take him home, and also send along her little message to them.

She returned to the base within ten minutes of running in her speed, once inside she came face-to-face with the Leader of the Akatsuki.

He was stood near the entrance of the cave, glaring at her through the dark, and with an angered bellow her, commanded "Into my office-Now!"

Shinko looked at him slightly short of surprise, wondering what made him so angry, unless...

She quickly made her way past him, as she did so she saw a slightly guilt-faced Zetsu stood, staring at the floor.

So, Zetsu had been spying on her, no wonder why Leader was absolutely livid, it was no surprise she didn't sense his chakra, he was known to cover his chakra very well, plus, she was otherwise engaged with matters that concerned herself and a certain young Demon Hunter, whom she was sure wouldn't return anytime soon.

She couldn't help but feel rather angry towards Zetsu, it was obvious that Leader didn't trust her to run-off into the night when she'd been restless for a while now, she'd been itching to get out, and it came to no surprise that danger would come her way, almost immediately.

How ironic.

Shinko went on silently to Leader's office, as she walked along, she saw Hidan and Kakuzu stood at the open-planned kitchen, staring at her with looks of disappointment and sympathy, she stared at them in confusion, seeing that they found her such a disappointment, she almost forgot that she wanted to apologise to them.

Instead, she kept walking, turning her blank stare forward, suddenly finding Leader's office door very interesting at that moment in time.

**/*\*/*\**

Leader's office was just as dark as the corridors between the rooms.

With Shinko's night-vision she could easily see where she was walking, stepping over beer bottles so she could steer herself over to the chair, in the middle of his office, infront of the huge desk that belonged to Leader.

She sat down and waited for Leader to appear.

Meanwhile, her gaze travelled across the room, seeing that he needed to clean up and the many piles of paperwork stacked upon his desk and floor, she was thankful that she had night-vision, for she was sure that if she slipped on a beer bottle and smacked into the piles of papers, she would make such a mess and would be made to clean it all up by herself.

Something she knew she wouldn't enjoy anytime soon.

She didn't have to wait long, though, Leader appeared out of a puff of smoke behind his desk, he deep grey-ringed gaze, stared hard at her, then his gaze shifted behind her, towards the door, she knew he was expecting someone, Shinko could smell Konan's scent, even before she was outside the door.

It opened and Konan came in, she walked through the room carefully, she too, was dodging the various piles of paper and random beer bottles littered all over the floor and stood practically in the corner of the office, just a little by Leader's side.

He sat down, and turned his stern gaze towards her, then after a minute of silence, which spent that time shoving random bits of paperwork to the otherside of the desk, he cleared his throat and spoke evenly on a growl that was adressed to her "Shinko, I have news of you leaving the Base without permission, wondering off and then getting into a fight with a 'Demon Hunter'? Explain yourself."

She didn't raise her head, instead, stared at the floor intensely, away from his angry stare, she really didn't feel like talking about it at the moment, all she wanted to do was leave the office and return to her room and rest.

"I wanted some fresh air...and some time to think..." She muttered her answer, and lifted her gaze from the floor and stared directly into his eyes with her own bright ones.

"Well, next time, I expect you to ask before you go-understood?" He waited until she gave a slight nod of her head before continuing, "As for the fighting, I heard you were the victor, but, that still doesn't mean that you were given permission to fight without just cause-"

"I was relaxing, and he came prepared for a battle and demanding that we fight." Shinko cut in and stated with a emotionless stare that suited her voice.

Leader sighed in annoyance, and rested his forehead in his right hand from impatience.

"You were challenged?" Konan asked passively from her corner of the office, which Shinko provided the answer of a nod, without even glancing at the other woman.

"Do you understand you are not only putting yourself in danger, but allowing this organization to be at risk of losing it's information?" Leader growled, still not looking at her.

"I am fully aware of what I am doing." Shinko answered lightly, as she stared down at the floor once more.

"Your grandfather would not like this attitude you have taken, maybe you should consider how he would feel if he knew about the dangers of getting involved with the 'Demon Hunters'." Leaser suggested coldly, he looked up now and notice Shinko tense at the mere mention of her grandfather.

"I've heard of them, aren't they the clan that track all types of Demons? They are well-known for their persitant and grudge-holding attitudes, the 'Youchi' clan, that's it, I didn't think they were still active?" Konan supplied the information to Leader, but the question was directed towards Shinko.

She sighed lightly, still tense at the mention of her grandfather "They were never in-active, they're very secretive, not many know where they reside, I wouldn't know where to locate their 'village', but they're always searching for Demons, as long as I and many of my kind and others exist, then there'd always be the Youchi clan to kill us."

Leader digested that information and nodded slowly, Konan merely stared acorss the room at the younger girl, that now went into her own thoughts.

Of course Tadashii Hoshi-Shinko's grandfather would be very angered by her lack of caution to keep herself away from the Demon Hunters, for once they knew you, you could not possibly get rid of them so easily.

Part of the reason Tadashii had agreed to send her away with the Akatsuki was to ensure her own safety, for her grandfather was a frequent target by the Demon Hunters, and wanted her to be somewhere they couldn't find her, but now she'd broken that one rule, the very reason that she was sent away, she knew that she must be punished harshly for her actions.

She nodded slowly and muttered "Yes, I understand, sorry."

Both Konan and Leader looked at her, surprised to ever hear an apology come from her, she'd never apologized before now, so naturally they were taken aback by the sudden change in her attitude.

Leader and Konan glanced from each other, both noticing Shinko seeming to 'shut-herself-down', her once bright eyes clouded over as she remembered things of the past.

"You don't need to be so hard on yourself, but take that as a warning, next time, I won't be so lenient. Go." Leader stated sternly, and watched her leave the room in such a slow pace that he had to blink at least twice to make sure he weren't conjuring up illusions, the door slammed shut from her in-human strength, almost making them wince, the lights flickered once more and a picture wobbled, though, managed to hang on for dear-life.

Konan sighed and hoped that Shinko wouldn't take it too much to heart about what her grandfaher would think of her, though knew that, that was easier said than done.

**To be continued...**

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	5. An Apology

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Five: An apology**

Shinko was outside the 'living area' before she could be stopped by anyone else, though, there weren't anyone else about in the base to stop her, since most of them were currently in their bedroom's or seperate lounge rooms.

She stood there and heard the quiet and strangely calm conversation coming from inside the room, naturally, it was from Hidan and Kakuzu, even as she stood outside the door.

At least they weren't arguing like they usually did, she made the positive thought come up and try to make light of the situation.

She let a small sigh pass her lips, readying herself to enter the lounge room and be bombarded with questions, probably to what got Leader in that state, unless they knew as well?

She shook her head lightly, first things first...

She opened the door and was in the room within a nano-second, staring at them calmly from where she stood, she shut the door equally as quiet, so not to make them jump, though, this appeared to be worse, because when Kakuzu looked round at the door to see her stood there, he jumped and then glared at her "Don't do that! Do you want me to die of a heart attack?!"

Shinko resisted the urge to laugh, knowing that Kakuzu could be over-dramatic with her, made her smirk and muttered "You can't die Kakuzu, you have other hearts to use, so I'd put another one in for you just in-case."

That shut him up and also caused to catch a curious glance from Hidan.

They were now both looking suspisciouly at her, probably wondering at the sudden change in her mood and why she was suddenly being so nice, even she had to admit, it felt different from being her usual cold-self that rejected even the most nicest compliment or sincerest apology.

"You'd save this bastard?" Hidan questioned her with a sarcastic tone as he glanced from Kakuzu to Shinko, waiting for an answer.

She nodded calmly, whilst staring at them through the dark room, the only light was coming from the T.V. screen, even that was on low, barely heard above their conversation.

Both Kakuzu and Hidan sat there staring and blinking at her, thinking that they must _both_ be seeing things or that she was ill, was she being nice to them?

"I'm not ill, and I'm not a hallucination." Shinko answered for them on a surpressed growl of boredom.

"Well?" Hidan asked as he stared at her again from where he sat on the sofa.

"Well, what?" Shinko wondered aloud, reading Hidan's mind, all she could hear going on in there was a load of curse words that didn't stop, even when he asked his next question.

"Aren't you going to tell us what happened with Leader?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, as he saw her shake her head, and she answered with a small smile "It's nothing to be concerned about."

"Didn't sound like it when he fucking shouted at you earlier." Hidan pointed out, folding his arms across his bare chest, having removed his cloak once he'd returned to his room, since he knew that he wouldn't be leaving the room for anything else for the rest of the evening, he wouldn't bother even if he were going to anyway.

She quickly turned her gaze away from his bare chest and focused on Kakuzu for a change, seeing his mask and coverings gone, he looked better without them in her opinion, but she knew he wouldn't look approachable to others, espeically when it came to contacting with other human's.

"I got into a fight." She answered briefly with a careless wave of her hand, resting it once more by her side.

They both looked rather surprised, Hidan groaned in annoyance "No fair! Why didn't you let me come with you?! I could've done another fucking ritual so I wouldn't have to do one tomorrow!"

Shinko sighed lightly and muttered "It was only one person."

"He didn't stand a chance then." Kakuzu confirmed, though, when she didn't answer they stared at her, seeing her staring at the floor, they knew something was wrong.

"You _didn't_ kill the fucking bastard?!" Hidan exclaimed in shock, for this was the first time, from what he could remember that she'd ever let anyone live, it was such a change to her usual uncaring attitude, did she take pity upon her victim?

She shook her head, reading his mind, she answered "I didn't kill him, because he was from the 'Youchi' clan."

There was a long silence, Kakuzu and Hidan stared at her for many moments, until, Kakuzu raised a hand to his chin, thinking out loud "I remember hearing about them...hmm...that's it! That was why your grandfather had you come with us."

Shinko confirmed this with a nod.

Kakuzu now stood-up, walking to her, he stood directly in front of her and snapped "Do you realise what you've done?!"

Shinko seemed to cower away slightly, having never seen Kakuzu unleash his anger on her before, it was something new to her and it scared her.

Hidan noticed this and jumped up after Kakuzu, placing a hand upon Kakuzu's shoulder, Hidan held him back and hissed "What the fuck is wrong with you? You've never been fucking angry about killing someone before-why now?"

Kakuzu shook off Hidan's hand and sending his partner such a glare, he growled "Because she almost killed a 'Youchi' clan member!"

Hidan snorted, folding his hands as he stood next to Shinko and Kakuzu, ready to intervene if the zombie was going lash-out.

Hell! He knew Kakuzu had a short-temper, it wouldn't surprise him if he went and slit Deidara's throat whilst the blond was sleeping, though, that would make Hidan laugh...very hard.

"Yeah, and? It's not like she hasn't killed any bastards before now." Hidan stated, getting annoyed at how Kakuzu was acting, he really wasn't being his usual-self, even Hidan, himself, had to admit that Kakuzu never raised his voice at the girl.

Must be some tough situation then? Hidan wondered to himself, but didn't get any further, as Kakuzu began to snarl "The 'Youchi' can are a bunch of Demon Hunter's, that's the reason Tadashii Hoshi asked us to take his granddaughter in the first place, if you remember that's why we were hired! We were there to kill off the Demon Hunters that were there to kill Shinko and her grandfather, now that she's almost killed one of them, it means; she will be hunted down herself, until she is dead!"

Hidan open and closed his mouth in response, for once, he was speechless, knowing that Shinko would be killed and taken from them made him turn and stare at her in surprise.

It suddenly hit him that he didn't want her dead, he didn't want her to leave, not the little girl that always begged him to read her one more story, this couldn't be happening!

Shinko...dead?

No, it didn't sound right and he couldn't conjure the picture in his head, he couldn't imagine her dying, since he knew that she couldn't die...unless...was there actually a way to kill her?

Shinko stared at Hidan, he looked very shocked, speechless, then at Kakuzu, he looked rather angry and a little upset, she couldn't blame them, they took her in as their own, they wouldn't want her to leave them, they wouldn't want her to die, she was their's, they were her friend's as she hoped they saw her as theirs.

A harsh bark of laughter resounded through the room, and realisation hit them then, it was Hidan lauging, he was laughing so hard, his face was red and it looked as though he were going to cry.

"W-what is so funny?" Shinko asked, her voice wobbled slightly, since she felt so much emotion she'd never known she could feel before, did Hidan find her dying so...amusing?

"That is the funniest thing I have ever heard, Kakuzu! Shinko dying! Yeah, right, not even a stake of wood through her heart could kill her-" Hidan suddenly recovered himself and his mouth shut itself automatically, having let-slip one of Shinko's biggest secrets, he knew he was in deep shit now.

Before he could say something to cover it up, he was flying through the air and smacked his head against the opposite wall, he fell to a crumpled heap upon the floor, clutching his head in-between his hands from the pain, he didn't have to look up to know it was Shinko that had grabbed him and hurled him across the room.

"_Fuck!_" Hidan cursed loudly between his gritted teeth, he peered open his eyes to see Kakuzu holding her back with his stitches, his eyes widened and wincing immediately from the pain, however, seeing Shinko raging like a monster made him rather happy he still weren't standing next to her, she was ripping Kakuzu's stitches everytime she moved in her rough movements, more and more of them kept coming from Kakuzu's body to hold her back, her sharp fangs were out, the pupils in her eyes had disappeared and were now just a piercing pool of blue and she was snarling at them in such a blinding rage, that it made him shiver to see the shy-girl that he remembered looking like such a...monster...

"Shinko, calm down, we're not against you!" Kakuzu stated on a growl, it looked as though he was getting impatient with all this bickering, Kakuzu was well-known for avoiding fights whenever he could, arguing was never his forte, despite saying clever comments and statements, he could never hold an argument for more than two minutes at-a-time.

Kakuzu took a few steps back from her, standing over Hidan, he stared down at him in anger, as he hissed "This is all your fault, you shouldn't be so harsh on her-" Hidan narrowed his eyes at his partner, huffing in annoyance, he sat up slowly and snapped "Shut the fuck up, bastard, like I care about that! She shouldn't take it to heart."

The snarling slowly died down, until all was heard was Shinko panting heavily, Kakuzu turned to stare at her, sighing heavily, he saw her knelt form upon the carpet, her hands curled into fists upon the floor, she was trying to calm herself down.

"You're lucky she weren't hungry, else we would've been in deep trouble..." Kakuzu muttered in response, his stitches loosening themselves from around Shinko's arms, legs, neck and stomach, returning to his body, only to leave red rope-like marks upon her body, signalling how tightly Kakuzu had held her back.

"I-I-I'm so...sorry..."

They both stared at the girl with wide eyes, still panting heavily, shocked at what she'd said, but, it was genuine, the way her voice wobbled and the fact that she hadn't apologised to them in about a year was obvious of that fact.

"What the Hell?" Kakuzu exclaimed, 'Did Shinko just apologize to us?! She did!' Kakuzu was bewildered, it'd been so long since Shinko had used manners on them that they couldn't focus on whether she was being honest or not, but, since it weren't often, it was obvious that she was telling the truth.

To be totally honest, Shinko was so close to crying that she really wished the ground would just swallow her whole, she really didn't want to be here, why did she even bother to try and explain? Why does Hidan have to be so cruel to her? Why was Kakuzu so angry?

All she wanted to do was apologise, was that so difficult?

Hidan slowly got up from the floor, feeling his head give-way to nausea, but, managed to stand up with the help of the wall behind himself, he couldn't suppress the groan that escaped his lips, from the pain, however, he was used to this and he'd be damned if he were going to let something this insignificant get him down.

He'd been through worse than a bump to the head, still meant he didn't like it though.

Kakuzu lifted a hand to his forehead, his head beginning to ache from an on-coming headache that he knew would get worse if he didn't lie down somewhere quiet-prefferably his room, but even then he weren't sure that, that was such a good idea.

He sighed heavily, then muttered "It's okay, accidents happen, just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Shinko stopped shivering and panting, she'd managed to recover herself and just as Kakuzu passed her to go to his room, he smiled a little at her, signalling that he'd forgiven her and she attempted a small smile back.

The door to Kakuzu's room shut and silence was once again filtered through the room, Hidan just stood there silently for a change, staring at the girl still kneeling on the flloor with rather dazed eyes.

His retreat wasn't going to be as easy.

And this was proven when she lifted her hurt gaze to meet his, and it seemed as though they both remembered what'd happened with the incident that involved a wooden stake.

**/*\*/*\**

_Shinko was sixteen when the incident had occured._

_She'd been reading as she often did, Hidan and Kakuzu were in the dining room eating their dinner, and this was one of the best times of the day, since it would be blissfully silent._

_She'd remembered that earlier that day she'd disrespected Leader and nearly killed Deidara and Tobi for annoying her, by pulling her hair, snickering at her and calling her names, at the time she was rather emotional, though, she weren't too sure why._

_Just lately she felt the urge to cry, every night she'd been crying herself to sleep, waking up to crying, crying when she'd wash herself and after she'd fed, something inside seemed to be breaking, though, she weren't too sure what that could be._

_As far as she knew, nothing terrible had happened to anyone was familiar with, she assumed her grandfather was doing well, and it had nothing to do with what'd happened previously that day._

_The ache in her heart was driving her insane, it hurt so much, a lot of the time she felt short of breath and when she cried it ached even more, it hurt to think of the past, it was like...someone dear to her had died._

_It was on this particular evening, that Shinko had gone back to her room, knowing that the others wouldn't return until at least half-an-hour later, she knew she was alone and didn't need to worry about anyone hearing her._

_She had a wooden stake on the top shelf in her wardrobe, which she'd kept since she'd left her grandfather's mansion, her grandfather had given it to her as a momento, she didn't know why she felt the sudden urge to look at it now, but as soon as she took it out of the box and wrappings, the ache in her heart returned ten-fold, her breathing was cut short as she gasped for air, her heart squeezing tightly, as though it were about to burst from within her ribcage, tears were rushing down her cheeks again and she didn't understand why._

_In a bid to shut off the ache in her heart, her body reacted instinctively and gripping the wooden stake she sent it into her, causing her to cry out in pain, blood spilling from her mouth as she collapsed to the floor in a small heap._

_Except she'd been totally wrong in assummng that she was alone._

_At that time, a tired Hidan had come back from a meeting with Leader and the rest of the organization, Kakuzu was currently still talking to Leader about some money business that had him annoyed enough to go off on his own and kill some random Ninja that was skulking around the forest, near the base._

_After his ritual, he returned to the 'living area' in order to rest._

_It was at that moment that a very Devil-ish scream had pierced the air that had Hidan covering his ears, he'd noticed it came from within Shinko's bedroom, worried that something had happened, he rushed into her room, finding her laid on the floor in a small puddle of her own blood, she weren't moving, he called her name, checked her pulse-which was pointless since her heart didn't beat anyway, she weren't breathing and he saw the stake in her chest._

_That's when he'd gone into panic-mode, he then took the stake out of her heart, lifting her up to the bathroom all three of them shared, he had to strip her chest bare, he cleaned her wound, placed bandages round it, then after dressing her upper-body, he placed her upon the sofa in the lounge room, praying to Jashin the entire time to save her soul._

_The next thing Shinko knew was that she was lying on the sofa in the 'living area' with a damp flannel covering her forehead._

_She'd immediately seen Hidan standing above her, glaring down at her and that was when she'd rememebered what had happened._

_He hadn't had anything good to say about what she did, and had then told her she'd been unconscious for five hours and that he'd thought she would've died if it weren't for him saving her._

_That was when she'd told him about what had happened, she'd also had gotten Hidan to swear that he wouldn't tell anyone, since she didn't want to worry anyone else, besides, it was a one-time thing, she didn't expect to stab herself like she'd done._

_He reluctantly agreed to keeping her secret, since he knew she was rather upset and embarrassed by the whole ordeal._

_And for three years he hadn't said a word to anyone._

**/*\*/*\**

Until now, for some strange reason something had cause him to change his mind.

Hidan sighed, wishing his retreat could be easier, though, he knew that weren't going to happen anytime soon.

Shinko stood up slowly from the floor and immediately began to wak over to him in deliberate slow steps, her eyes shining up at him with hunger splayed across them.

Hidan backed away a little as she deliberately showed her fangs and stepped closer to him.

His back hit aganst her door, and he couldn't escape off to the sides because she'd now closed the space between them, she was standing right infront of him, smiling in only what could be called; seductively at him through the darkness and he had to admit, she looked so beautiful when she smiled up at him like that.

He watched her with a questioning gaze, but, didn't move away from her, for now he was caught in her spell, just as he was many times before.

His heartbeat raced faster once more, his breathing became slightly laboured and he couldn't suppress the look of lust from seeping into his dangerous magenta eyes.

She then smirked at him a little, leaning towards him, their bodies touching, her breasts pushed-up against his bare chest, she stared into his eyes, lifting a hand to his cheek she began stroking it gently.

He didn't stop her, couldn't even if he wanted too, he was now a slave to her will, he would now do anything she wished, just because he'd stared into those lovely eyes of hers, this was one of her abilities, and he was now a slave to it...and her.

Their eyes still held each others as she muttered sensuously "Hidan, you told my secret...I think you should be punished...don't you?"

He didn't answer, instead, he just gulped loudly, unable to move from her, her words were like an Angel's chorus, her body was that of a Goddess and her eyes and power were like that of an aphrodisiac, he felt as though she were drugging him and he found he couldn't deny her.

She being smaller than him, tilted her head, and moving it to his neck, she took in a deep breath, taking in his scent, that nearly made her dizzy with wanting to feed and another hunger that'd strangely formed in the pit of her stomach.

He nearly closed his eyes when he felt her head lean against his chest, his mind was blank and he couldn't think straight, but, knew what he was doing next.

His arms of their own violation, encircled around her slowly, embracing her within a gentle hug, that she surprisingly didn't break away from.

She leaned in further to him and sighed happily to herself, feeling safe and secure, she wrapped her own arms around his neck and they remained like this for many minutes, just hugging each other, and Shinko found herself surprised to be enjoying this, almost as Hidan was.

Hidan hated pussy romance scenes that were gentle and loving, he liked it rough and hard, but now, this was totally different, it was probably because he'd held her so many times before when she was younger, when he was reading to her or when training or even that one-time she fell asleep whilst they watched a film together, and they ended up in each other's embrace.

He'd laughed at that at the time, but now, looking back, he probably realised that she was special to him, he certainly wouldn't do that with any other girl, but this one, he knew he couldn't but act this way with her.

It was after another minute or so, she knew she had to back-off, before another member caught them embraced like so, not only would it arouse suspicions, but it could also mean that she may be kicked out of the Akatsuki for good for using her abilities upon another member outside the training rooms.

Shinko pulled away slightly, her bright eyes locking with his dazed magenta ones as she smiled sweetly, she then leaned up and kissed him on his cheek softly, not wanting to over-step the mark, overwhelming them both too much that they might become frightened and pretend nothing had happened between them.

She then pulled away from him, looking into his slightly wide eyes, she grabbed onto his arm, and all but lifted him off the ground, and placed him on the sofa, and then disappeared into her room, closing the door gently behind herself.

Hidan slowly blinked as reality settled back into him, he then started blushing slightly, his hand went to his warm cheek where Shinko had just kissed him, then back to the closed door of her room.

He felt an unusual warm feeling in his chest as if something had clicked into place, though he no idea what it was, since he'd never felt this feeling before.

What had she done to him?

**To be continued...**

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	6. Mission to Konoha

**A/N:** Hey, my little zombies! I just want to apologise for how slow I am at updating on this series and my other story, but, I have started back at college, 'yippee', anywho, it means that I won't be updating as often as I would love too, gomenasai! I will try and update every so often, but, I think I will most likely be updating once or twice a week on this story, sorry for any inconvenience! And I hope you enjoy this chappie because this chappie weren't in the original. That's right, This story is a re-write of the original version, since the original sucked balls, so I'm making this more detailed and much better ^^ Enjoy!

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Six: Mission to Konoha**

It was the next morning, the weather outside was rather sunny, something unusual since it was September, though, the heat hadn't subsided, much to Shinko's dislike.

It was rather early in the morning, something else Shinko didn't like, since she loved resting, she often took naps throughout the day, apart from reading, there were very little left to do.

She glanced at Hidan who looked as though he were sleeping on his feet, his eyes were half-closed and she knew that if she spoke to him now, he wouldn't register it and would probably mumble incoherent things to himself, it looked as though they both hadn't had a very good nights' sleep, her gaze then fell onto Kakuzu, he didn't seem bothered by getting up so early, his eyes were open and focused, ready for the day.

She almost felt like slapping that very awake look off of his face, God, how she hated mornings!

They were stood in Leader's office, listening to him explain the new mission that'd come in for them to complete, well, it weren't new, it just gave them something to do, got them out of the base and out of Pein's hair for a while.

"There is a clan, the 'Kinzoku' clan, that live on the borders of Konoha, their clan specializes in metal-bending as their Kekkei Genkai, they once requested the help of Akatsuki, and we aided them in protecting their little...'town' as it were, they didn't have the money at the time, so we've kept tabs on them, they've been paying us small sums of money for a little over a year now, but, it's suddenly stopped, it appears that they won't pay us anymore in return of our services."

Leader looked up at the three of them in question, noting Shinko's bored stare, Hidan's half-asleep body swaying a little and Kakuzu looking annoyed since he mentioned the word money and the fact that they weren't receiving any for their services.

He sighed a little, at least with the 'Kinzoku' clan out of the way, that'd be one less worry off his shoulders and at least the base will be quiet without Hidan's constant yelling.

"The mission is rather simple; if they don't give you the money upfront, then annihilate the 'Kinzoku' clan and take whatever money or valuables you can find, understood?"

They all nodded, though, not enthusiastically, since two of the three were still rather sleepy, Leader took this as a good sign, since he knew the mission would be complete if Kakuzu was going, the miser, he would make sure they got all the money that was found.

Leader gave a nod of his own, pointing to a scroll on the edge of his desk with his hand, Kakuzu went to the desk and picked it up, Leader gave a small sigh and stated "It's a map, I've marked their 'town' on there, showing you where it is, as soon as you're done, come straight back-" Pein sent Kakuzu a deadly glare, then continued "that means; no dawdling, understood?"

Again they all nod, Kakuzu a little more reluctant, but, complied with his Leader's wishes, knowing that if he were to disobey or fail in any regard, then he'd have an hour-long lecture at least or something short of a beating at worst.

He just hoped that Hidan wouldn't be too much of a pain in the arse, though, he knew immediately that would be impossible, it was like asking Itachi to laugh, or get Hell to freeze over, in both cases, they wouldn't happen.

"Okay, you will go now, make sure you are successful." Leader waved them away with his hand, turning his focus to the huge pile of paperwork next to him on the desk with a face that looked very much like; 'You've got to be shitting me.'

After leaving the office, Hidan and Kakuzu went off to their rooms to pack few items they would need to satisfy them during the long-walk they had ahead of them.

Shinko, however, took herself off outside to wait for them, she sat down upon the boulder a little away from the cave entrance, staring at the forest ahead of her, she sniffed the air tentatively for any signs of life.

Squirrels, birds, bugs, a deer, snakes, a raccoon, two badgers and a falcon in the sky above.

All the animals she could detect at a mile-radius, so there weren't any human's about, that was at least something to feel relieved about, so it appeared the 'Youchi' clan had yet to act, at least she had some time to prepare herself, ready for their arrival, though, she knew that Leader had given her and her two Senpai's this mission so that they wouldn't trace her scent or tracks back to the base, instead, it would confuse them if she went in the opposite direction.

They'd be left confused and if they did manage to follow them, then at least she'd smell them before they got near them and they wouldn't find the base, she also had Hidan and Kakuzu with her to back her up, this was proving to be more at her advantage now.

From behind, she heard the faint footsteps of her Senpai's, they didn't appear in too much of a rush to leave, most likely they knew that this mission was only given to them because of Shinko's little conflict the evening before.

She wouldn't apologise to them for that though, it weren't her problem that Pein had decided to send them on a mission that would be so boring, but, surely would give her a free-meal, Kakuzu his money and Hidan his sacrifices, it worked out well for them all.

She knew the moment they stood out onto the grass of the forest-floor, since the crunch of grass beneath their zori was plainly obvious and she almost smiled to herself in some predatory way, as if she were going to hunt _them_.

"Oi-oi! Shinko! We gotta' fucking leave _now_!" Hidan's rather loud voice called to her, and she rolled her eyes, screw her scent leading the Demon Hunters here, they only needed to hear Hidan's loud voice to locate where they were.

Shinko glanced over her shoulder at them in a bored manner and muttered to the magenta-eyed man "I wouldn't be so loud if I were you, Hidan, it could attract unwanted attention."

He snorted in response and stated loud and seemed rather proud of his boasting "Let the fuckers come! I'll give them a Hell of a fucking time!"

Kakuzu sighed in annoyance, a vein working itself on the side of his forehead, looking unamused he walked away, stating "If the 'Youchi' clan come here, I will you hold _you_ responsible-Hidan."

Hidan's body snapped round to Kakuzu and called "Hey! Why the fuck me?! I'm not the one that started all this shit!"

In answer, Shinko stood up from her boulder, brushing herself down, her eyes on Hidan's neck and she knew his body had tensed, probably feeling her gaze on him and she inwardly smirked at that.

With little effort she straightened and jumped high off the boulder and over fifteen metres away from where she was stood, to Hidan's side, she landed gracefully with little sound and began walking after Kakuzu, muttering "Better hurry up if you don't want to get left behind."

Hidan watched her walk away a little, he wondered if she really had been staring at him, if so, he didn't knew whether to feel creeped out or let that warm feeling rush up in him, shaking his head, determined to kill it, whatever it was, he didn't like it, not one bit.

It was only then that her words registered, his eyes narrowing at the figures getting smaller, he began running after them, shouting "Oi! Wait-up you fuckers!"

**/*\*/*\**

It was later that day, the sun was _still_ shining, much to Shinko's annoyance and Hidan was _still_ complaining much to Kakuzu's annoyance.

They were all feeling the heat getting to them, more so for the half-Vamp, and Hidan's complaining didn't ease the situation at all.

"Fuck! Where is a bathroom when you fucking need one?!" Hidan complained again for what seemed the billionth time that day since they'd left the base, first it was because Leader was-in his words, such a 'dick-head', then it was about the mission and how annoying it would be to walk all the way there, they end up giving them the money and he wouldn't be able to kill anyone, then it was about sleeping on the forest-floor when they could easily find a comfortable hotel bed, then it was about having to find dinner and that he hated catching fish and now it was because he needed to go to the bathroom.

'Oh Kami, kill me now!' Kakuzu thought dramatically, glaring at the ground ahead of him for no reason other than hearing his partners loud voice complaining all the time, he weren't surprised people were scared of approaching him, since he glared at nothing all the time and when he did speak, he was cranky and blunt.

Shinko noticed that he seemed to have aged since they left the base, yet, she'd managed to let Hidan's complaining slide over, she had a knack for ignoring stupidity, often being able to focus on other things, she knew Kakuzu was very much the same, but, today he was letting Hidan get to him, she didn't know why, she presumed that it was because Kakuzu was in a mood as it was because he couldn't go bounty-hunting afterwards.

"This is fucking shit! I need a fucking piss!" Hidan snapped, waving his arms in the air dramatically.

Shinko sent him a side-ways glance, raising her white brows at him, she murmured "There are plenty of bushes out here."

He sent her a look that said; 'You've gotta' be fucking me'.

"I ain't going for a piss in some fucking bush! Besides, you'll both just walk off without me!" Hidan folded his arms, as if he proved a point.

"I wish we could do just that." Kakuzu stated through gritted teeth, still glaring at the ground in front of him, this comment stung and had Hidan glaring at Kakuzu's back in anger.

"Shut the fuck up! Just admit you'd be lost without me!" Hidan implored, as Kakuzu continued walking off further infront of them.

Shinko sighed heavily and muttered "Go and take a leak and I'll wait for you."

He stared at her for a few moments, wondering whether she was joking, however, seeing her intense gaze returned, he grinned widely, he turned and walked off into some trees on his direct-right, calling back "You better fucking wait!"

She'd long-since stopped walking, but, felt the temptation to walk off anyway, since he clearly didn't believe she'd wait for him.

Looking at Kakuzu's disappearing figure, she almost snorted loudly to herself, thinking; 'Even if I did walk with Kakuzu, he would still be sulking'.

She was shaking her head when Hidan returned, sighing in contentment, he stated loudly "That's so much better and hey! You actually fucking waited for me!"

She looked at him and smirked a little, before they both took off after the sulking miser that just wouldn't let up on the speed.

Soon it was only Shinko's company he was sharing, it'd been silent for too long and what was more annoying was that she weren't paying attention to him at all.

This gave him the perfect oppurtunity to look at her in daylight.

Her skin was so white and looked very soft, her lips were pale too-matching that of some dead person, her even whiter hair-that resembled snow itself, just like his was swaying about her waist as she walked alongside him, her blue eyes, so enchanting, they matched the colour of the sky on a hot day when there weren't any clouds about, except, they shone so bright, her body was thin, maybe a little too thin, her breasts were a decent size, small enough to manouvere about without having to worry about being smacked in the face and big enough to catch his attention.

To be fair, she was beautiful, not in the typical way like fairytales would often over-exaggerate on the appearance of the woman, but beautiful, as in; unique, her features were rather soft, but, her skin was cold to touch and her body was hard as stone, trying to break her bones was like trying to walk on water without chakra-impossible.

Well, for a human to break her bones was definitely impossible, but, someone whom weren't a human it wouldn't be as difficult.

"Have you finished staring at me?" She asked, her jaw rather stiff, something was making her tense, he didn't know what, but, something made her uneasy and it didn't cover up the fact he'd gotten caught-in-the-act.

He exhaled loudly and she looked at him with those eyes of hers and he was speechless once more, lost for words, it was rather frightening to know she could read what's going on inside a person's head, it was almost like knowing the deep, inner-secrets he kept.

"I...I..." He was truly stuck, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment as he thought of a mental image of him opening and closing his mouth like a fish and blushing like a virgin did when it came to talk of sex.

He knew he sounded stupid and almost smacked himself across the face when he felt that usual heat rushing through him at such speed he almost felt light-headed, it was strange, never before had he felt such strong emotions, it was only since he was in Shinko's company and the way she'd touched him the night before.

Though, if he were honest himself, he always found himself short of breath and light-headed in her company.

What was it about her that made him _want_ her so much?

Her eyes widened slightly at this, having caught onto this thought, she felt herself in some measure of shock, not knowing whether to pay attention to it or not, thinkng over all the times they'd been in each others company and how they'd both reacted to each other, it made her feel warm.

Well, as warm as she could feel when she was already dead, it was probably just the sun.

But, she knew that she was attracted strongly to the Jashinist and that made her wonder why that was?

He was always so loud, violent and complained a lot, she was almost the complete opposite to him.

'Opposites attract'-right?

What would happen if she were to test this theory out?

Hidan noticed her expression change after he thought of _wanting_ her and swiftly began mentally cursing himself because of it, since, it was plainly obvious she'd caught him out.

"Do you feel it?" She asked, just loud enough for him to hear, his eyes darted to hers once more, having strayed to the ground after he began to mentally curse himself.

"What the fuck do you mean?" He half-snapped at her, since his voice wavered in nervousness, wondering whether she felt the same way as him, even just a little.

"I mean; are you attracted to me?" Her gaze narrowed just slightly at him, signalling that she was being serious, she just wanted a straight answer, however, with Hidan nothing ever was a straight answer or simple.

His first initial idea was to laugh out loud at her question, simply brush it off, almost saying; 'As if'!' but, he couldn't, he just couldn't bring himself to do it, he couldn't even speak when she was staring at him with such intensity.

'Say something-you stupid bastard!' He mentally shouted at himself, cursing himself for his weakness, though, when he managed to speak, he muttered "H-huh?"

'Great job-you fucktard!'

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled it out his mouth, aiming to calm himself-but, well, failed.

He forced his eyes open and immediately noticed that she weren't even looking at him, instead, they were focused ahead of her, it was as if they'd never spoken.

This made him rather angry, that she'd forget their conversation and he hadn't even answered her question yet!

Before it even registered in his mind on what he was doing, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to face him fully-demanding that she hear his answer, though, he weren't exactly sure what he was going to say.

Having not expected this reaction, especially, since she'd been in deep thought, she'd tripped over her own feet-something she'd _never_ done before, colliding into his chest, his other arm came out to steady her, realising that she was shivering within his hold.

Shinko clung to him as he held her close, so close that she could feel the heat rise in his body temperature, the beating of his heart increase, she knew he was blushing, she too, could also hear his warm blood rushing through his veins, making her want to lean-up, press kisses along his collarbone, up towards his neck, graze her canines against his main artery-which would make his breath hitch.

She began shivering violently, feeling his bare chest against her cheek, he was so warm compared to her cold skin and so hard.

The sun and heat was making her become rather ill and gradually getting weaker, this was how 'Heat Syndrome' worked, it would slowly make the Hybrid in question feel ill and zap them of all energy.

She felt as though she were fighting a losing battle, the urge to drink his blood was so violent, she almost screamed, she needed to get away, but, feeling his arm wrapped almost protectively around her waist, she knew that would be impossible.

She just hoped she had enough will to prevent her from draining him, if she didn't it could prove to be fatal.

**To be continued...**

**!!REVIEW!!**

**A/N: **Hey again! I just wanted to say that I'd like it if more people reviewed this story, since, I have worked harder on it-or at least tried, I don't even mind if it's criticism-well, constructive crticism at the very least, I just feel bad that there is only my friend; 'Riayna Darkheart' that is reviewing this, even if it's just a couple of people, I would really appreciate it. Sorry to sound so needy, I know that if people want to read the story then reviews would make me get it done so much faster. So please, just spare me a minute of your time to review. Happy reading!


	7. Resistance

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Seven: Resistance**

It took all of Shinko's will to stop herself from wrapping her arms around Hidan's neck, bite into the hard skin with her fangs and drain him of all his blood right there, surrounded in the forest as they were, no one else would see or hear his screams of pain, all except Kakuzu, but, he'd gone on far ahead, and since he was in such a foul mood, he'd most likely ignore them.

"What the fuck's wrong?" She thought she heard concern in Hidan's voice, something rare to hear and for a moment, she'd wondered whether she'd conjured up his voice from nowhere.

She tried to lift her head to look up at him, but, found that she couldn't lift it too high, she didn't want to tempt fate, instead, she muttered words too quiet for him to understand.

Frowning, he leaned his head down to hers, and told her to speak again, hoping that this time, he'd be able to hear her more clearly.

It was so hard to form words, especially, when they were so close to each other and she could faintly feel his breath upon her head, meaning; his lips were very close to her, making her own breath hitch in response.

"I-I need t-to rest...d-danger-ous..." She spluttered on her words, the urge to drink his blood was so great, that for one moment, she almost-_almost_ gave in to the temptation, but, what made her hold back, was the knowledge that this wasn't any old victim she could carelessly drain and kill, this was Hidan, one of three men that'd shaped her life by raising her, she couldn't be so spiteful.

Instead, she simply stopped herself from breathing altogether so that she could no longer smell his oh-so-tempting hot blood, hearing it and smelling it were two different things altogether.

Not breathing was another trick of hers, well, _all_ of the Vampire-kind could use this trick, it was to be used as last-resort measures, to prevent themselves from inhaling the strong, tempting scent of their victims blood, the only problem this caused was that it hurt her lungs whenever she did this.

She was willing to endure the pain no matter what, as long as she didn't hurt those that were close to her.

He noticed her suffering and quickly guided her over to the shade beneath a tree-away from the sun, there he rested her against the tree itself, leaning away from her, he stared at her calmly, watching as she began breathing once more, taking in deep breaths, looking as though she were trying to calm down.

He looked over at Kakuzu's disappearing figure and rolled his magenta eyes in annoyance, it was obvious he was still pissed off, but that didn't mean he should walk off and forget about them!

"Oi, Kakuzu, you fucker! Get your fat arse back here-before I make you!" Hidan bellowed across to the disappearing figure in the distance, Shinko winced at the loud voice and clapped her hands over her ears, her sensitive hearing felt as though her ear-drums had exploded within her head, though, that was being just slightly over-dramatic.

Hidan smirked loudly in triumph when he saw Kakuzu's figure stop and turn around, staring at them, Kakuzu sighed from where he was stood in annoyance, he could almost see the huge smirk on Hidan's face, but what made him trudge back over to them, weren't the fact that he wished to rip that smirk of the Jashinist's face, but because the young girl was huddled painfully up against the tree, gripping her head in her hands.

'What the Hell have you done now, Hidan? You idiot.', Kakuzu thought to himself, frowning as he got closer to them, seeing Hidan sat down close to the girl, grinning at him like a kid would and leaning back on his hands, his legs spread out in front of him, he looked so relaxed, it seriously pissed him off.

Hidan was always looking for an excuse to complain, having been complaining that he was tired non-stop since they left, almost made him angry at the fact that he'd gotten his wish granted.

Shinko however, slowly loosened her hands from her head and allowed them to drop down to her knees, they were bent up to her chest, there she peered at them with tired eyes of her own, the lines beneath them darkening slightly.

Kakuzu sighed and asked Shinko "What happened?"

She sighed a little, staring down at her hands resting upon her knees, she answered quietly "Too much sun."

Hidan looked up at Kakuzu and raising an eyebrow, he asked "What now, genius?"

Kakuzu glared at the younger male, remembering to ignore his remark, staring at Shinko, he sighed loudly and stated "You'll carry her, Hidan-"

"What?! Why the fuck do I have to do it?! Why not you-you lazy bastard?!" Hidan snapped, glaring at the taller and older man, wondering why he was the one to be punished so much that day.

Kakuzu looked away from Hidan, until he was sure the rant was over, then lifting up a hand, he pointed at the other man and stated "All you've done so far today is complain-nothing unusual there! We have a mission to complete, you want to go back and rest after it's done, fine, but we can't leave Shinko here, not alone, if we don't leave now then we'll be far behind schedule."

Hidan made a hand movement that looked very much like a mouth and snapped "Well, all I hear is talk, I still don't see why I should fucking carry her around!"

"I can walk. Besides, you two can go on ahead, I just need some rest, that's all..." and blood, she finished in her head, they both exchanged annoyed looks and stared at her as though she were joking, instead, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree, trying to ignore them.

She heard Kakuzu grunt and hearing him walk off, he muttered aloud over his shoulder "You _will_ carry her, Hidan."

She heard Hidan's breathing increase, could hear his blood rushing throughout his veins, his face was going rather red, this she knew from instinct, which was swiftly followed by his shout at the other man "How the fuck am I supposed to carry her?!"

Kakuzu paused in his walking, half-turning in his stride, he stated on a call of his own-this one much quiet "Take your cloak off and carry her on your back and place your cloak over her so the sun doesn't shine down on her."

Now, Shinko did open her eyes and stare long and hard at Kakuzu, who looked back sternly, he weren't joking, he was being serious.

Hidan ground his teeth in annoyance when Kakuzu turned his back on them and began slowly walking away from them.

"Tch! Bastard..." Hidan hissed under his breath, feeling sorely pissed off that Kakuzu wasn't even helping him out at all, for it wasn't so much the idea of helping Shinko, just more that their bodies would be close to each others, her lips might touch his neck, her legs would be wrapped around his waist and her arms would be slung over his shoulder and maybe her hands may touch his bare chest.

Hidan wasn't one for blushing, true; he wasn't a virgin and he'd known many women's bodies, he wasn't some teenage kid that blushed every moment when his hand touched a girls arse, but, he just couldn't help but blush when it came to touching the half-Vamp.

He'd often wondered whether it was an ability of hers, he'd read that Vampires often lure their prey with their beauty and soothing voice, and of course, Shinko was beautiful and her voice was almost like an Angel's chorus, but, she was only half a Vampire.

So that couldn't be why he was so attracted to her, it had to be something else.

But, what?

He stood-up and sighed in blatant annoyance, he took his scythe off his back and dropped it into the ground, he took off his cloak and then bent down so that his back was to her, directly infront of her, she stared at him, her eyes held surprise, though, he weren't sure why that was either.

"Look, you want my fucking help or not?!" He snapped, impatience getting the better of him, she stared at him, then smiled lightly, giving a brief nod of her head, she leaned on the tree for support and stood up, her legs still looked rather shaky, it was obvious to see that she was rather weak at that moment, and he almost felt bad for being rather moody with her.

She climbed onto his back easily enough and the best thing about it was, she was so light, barely weighed anything, it was almost as if he weren't carrying her at all, but, that did not ease his suffering by any, since Shinko always wore the signature mini-blue/black skirt, thigh-length goth boots, fingerless-elbow-length-black gloves with some weird symbol on them-it was her clan symbol, a pale blue corest-looking-top, underneath her long-plain-black-leather-goth coat and she wore silver-cross-dangly earrings in both her ears-how ironic.

But, that hardly mattered, since, his face turned almost bright pink at the contact of her breasts pushed against his back, on his bare skin, and those legs-Shit!

She'd be the end of him, if there were ever an end to him, it'd be her doing, she'd be the one to kill him.

Those legs of hers dangled round his waist from behind, and that was only a small matter compared to the fact that he had to hold onto her legs with his bare hands.

Her skin was cool to touch, and he almost felt thankful, since, he was feeling really warm at that moment-screw that!

He was feeling as though he were the Vampire out in the heat of the sun!

"Are you alright?" Her voice was next to his ear and he felt her cool breath upon his neck, sending shivers down his spine, the feeling felt really pleasurable, but, he wouldn't go begging her to touch anytime soon-wait!

He wouldn't beg her or allow her to touch him in any other way than friendly-perhaps, not even that, since he weren't so foolish as to get to close to her, she's a half-Vamp, he's a Jashinist, strict believer in religion, and although they both injested blood-or well, for Shinko; lived off of it, he weren't about to get so involved with a vicious bitch like her.

She'd sooner drain him of his blood than sleep with him.

He'd only faintly felt himself snort loudly, and only then, did he realise she was still waiting for an answer, instead, he muttered "Pass that fucking cloak, gotta' catch up to the bastard now."

She did as he instructed and soon the cloak was placed over them both, and surprisingly, he felt much cooler, especially since the girl was an ice-cube and the cloak draped over her head gave him shade from the sun.

He picked up his scythe and carried it in one hand that was also held onto her leg, soon he was walking and silence had once again fell around them, this time, it weren't uncomfortable, and before he knew, Shinko had gone and fallen asleep on him, this did piss him off, but, he knew she could rest all she wanted now and she'd get first-watch that night-maybe all night seeing as she wasn't bothered about falling asleep upon the back of an S-rank criminal.

He sighed in annoyance, cursing under his breath, he remained silent for such a long time, that he hadn't noticed Kakuzu looking back at him a few times in curiosity, wondering why the loud-mouth was so silent.

Hell, if all it took for him to stay silent was by carrying Shinko upon his back, he'd get Hidan to do it more often.

**/*\*/*\**

Before long, evening had fallen upon them and Hidan _still_ hadn't uttered a word, knowing that Shinko was still asleep upon his back, this improved Kakuzu's mood very much, he felt more calm, relaxed, it was so very rare that Hidan was quiet for more than two minutes maximum, but, here he'd been quiet for more than four hours!

Begrudgingly, Kakuzu knew they'd have to set up camp soon, it would be useless walking around in the dark, stumbling about all over the place, not really noticing where they were going, it'd be good if Shinko were awake to guide them, but, they needed rest and Shinko was weakened enough as it were, she needed all the rest she could get.

Sighing loudly, Kakuzu stopped, waiting for Hidan to catch-up, he looked at the albino and stated "We'll camp here tonight."

Hidan nodded silently, catching the older mans attention, since it was so rare that Hidan was co-operative and he was never silent, always ready to tell others what he thought, giving them his opinion whether anyone asked for it or not, either way, Hidan was being...obedient.

Kakuzu shivered at the thought, Hidan and obdedient did _not_ go together and would never be thought of, or said in the same sentence!

Kakuzu shook his head, 'He's probably just tired...' he thought to himself, eyeing a tree that seemed to have his name written on it, he quickly walked over to the tree and settled down, claiming the spot as his, since he knew from past experiences that Hidan wouldn't think twice in arguing over who sleeps against the tree.

The good thing was, was that there were more than one tree, so he didn't have to worry, especially when Kakuzu eyed Hidan putting the half-Vamp down on the ground, gently taking his cloak from her and putting it back on, it was obvious that Hidan was going to sleep next to the girl, how amusing that was, it seemed that he was only ever silent when around Shinko, Kakuzu made a note for the future to make sure Shinko was with them at all times, silence was wonderful and he so very rarely got to hear it.

"What about some fucking food?" Hidan mumbled as he sat down, leaning against the tree and pulled Shinko towards him, he wrapped his open cloak around her, so that she was snuggled up against him, trying to make it look as though he were trying to warm her up, despite the fact she no longer felt the heat or the cold, since she was already dead.

Kakuzu groaned in annoyance, realising that he hadn't thought about food and as if on cue, both of their stomachs rumbled loudly.

"Oh my fucking Lord! We haven't eaten since breakfast! And that was forever ago!" Hidan whined as he placed a hand over his stomach, rubbing it, as if to tell it to shut up.

"We'll just have to wait until morning, I'm cold and tired, so I won't be going into any river tonight to catch fish or any other stupid animal." Kakuzu replied, closing his eyes as if to prove his statement.

Hidan snorted in annoyance, though, he had to agree, if they did go to get food, it'd be a case of finding a river or some animal and then gathering wood for a fire, since they were both exhausted he wondered whether they'd last until morning, whenever Hidan had no food, he would be in a more foul mood than ever, food, sleep, rituals and maybe sex were the only things that occupied Hidan's mind, though, he hadn't had any of the last since about five months back.

It was obvious he was busy.

As he was about to reluctantly close his eyes, he felt the smaller figure next to him stir, instantly pulling his cloak back a little he stared down at her, wondering if he'd perhaps been a bit too loud, though, he was positive that if it weren't his mouth waking her, it'd be his stomach.

Her blue eyes opened a little, wondering where she was and why she felt so..._warm_...

"Hey, about fucking time!" Hidan's voice exclaimed, though, for some reason wasn't as loud as she'd expected it to be, she moved a little, feeling the ground beneath her, some material hung around her form and when she looked up, she realised how close she was to his body.

Her eyes were wide as dinner plates, touching another person intimately was foreign to her, though, Hidan seemed to have not noticed, since he continued talking "You slept for the whole fucking day and yeah, I fucking carried you all the way out here, I expect something in return for this though!"

Hearing this, she knew this was a more than decent excuse for getting away from the Jashinist's warm body, so she slowly stood-up, having slept the entire day away-well, almost, she felt that she was ready to hunt once more.

She sent a small smile down at him for his benefit, giving him a wink, she turned and stated to the men "Okay, no problem, I'll get you both something to eat and some firewood."

And before he could protest, she'd disappeared into thin air, or simply, she'd become invisible, making her escape that much easier.

Hidan smirked lightly and rested his head back against the tree, feeling more than happy that he didn't have to go and get the food himself, he finally noticed the wary stare of his partner, sitting opposite from him, to be honest, Kakuzu staring at anyone silently, for lengthy periods of time would creep anyone out.

"What the fuck are you staring at, fucktard?" Hidan snapped in annoyance, allowing the colourful language to come out as it usually did without any inhibitions, in answer to this, Kakuzu rolled his tired eyes and muttered "Be thankful you're getting anything at all, I don't think it's something she'd do for us again anytime soon."

Hidan snorted loudly and snapped "Ah, shut the fuck up and enjoy it for once! So what if the bitch won't do it again, she needs to return _me_ the favour for lugging her arse-which is rather shapely and soft if I may add around for the whole day."

Kakuzu stared at him with disgust in his eyes, of course, he'd touched women as well, in all sorts of places, but, when it came to someone touching the girl they'd raised and the person in question being the Jashinist himself, he couldn't help but feel rather sickened and for some reason, protective.

"You're sick, Hidan, you better hope she hadn't heard you say that with those sensitive ears of hers-" Hidan waved a hand idly at him, as if brushing the situation off and stated with a grin "There's nothing to fucking worry about! She wouldn't mind that I had to touch her arse to stop her from falling off my back more than four fucking times!"

That's when Hidan noticed it, the look in Kakuzu's eyes that suddenly turned to that sickening gleam that he'd only seen very few times before, which normally meant Hidan was in for trouble, gulping, the Jashinist looked round and up to see Shinko stood there beside him, her expression unreadable.

"Err...oh...hehehe! Did I say that?!" Hidan started sweating rapidly and his more-than-nervous laugh was a dead give-away to the fact that he was lying.

It didn't ease the murderous look in her eyes as she raised her fist to punch him, she cried "You pervert!"

Let's just say, Hidan won't want to try anything funny when the girl is asleep ever again.

**To be continued...**

**!!PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	8. Death of the 'Kinzoku' Clan

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Eight: Death of the 'Kinzoku' Clan **

There was silence after a tiring, bloodied battle.

The air was bitterly cold and filled with eerie fog, making it hard for anyone to see clearly.

Well, anyone that was human that is.

Shinko stood up high in the tree, overlooking the deathly silent Kinzoku clan compound, the walls were very high, but the tree was higher still, she was holding what appeared to be a dead body of a child no older than ten.

Her hands were stained with blood, as was blood smeared around her mouth, the blood of her victims that'd failed in their escape for safety, her eyes were a dazzling, bright blue, shining through the thick fog.

The young body of a boy she held by the neck, dangled lifelessly from her strong grip, blood dripped down from his shoulder, neck and small chest were she'd bitten and clawed at him in a desperate urge for his warm, innocent blood.

The red liquid soaked his clothes and stained her hands further, his eyes were left open to small slits and his expression looked rather sad...perhaps, regretful.

Of course he'd felt pain before his death-they all do, but, it was obvious that his pain had eased as he'd died, making it look as though it were natural.

When clearly, it weren't natural at all.

The wind blew through the boys' short pale brown hair and his bloodied clothes, just as it did with Shinko's unharmed and stoic form, her long white hair flapped in the breeze, pushing itself away from her face, almost as the boy had done many, many long minutes before, perhaps hours, she couldn't exactly remember how long she'd been holding the boy or how long it'd been since she'd last fed, it just felt very long.

The air was cool and left a certain smell of blood in the air, the air was heavy and the horrid, musky smell would make others turn and heave, well, others as in; humans, that is, Shinko was used to this by now, she was no longer affected by the smell, unless, she were still hungry, but, she'd long since fulfilled her hunger and desire to feed.

Shinko glanced down at all of the dead bodies beneath her, upon the ground, all of their blood had been drained from them and totured mercelessly by her amusement of watching the humans squirm against her stunning powers.

She tore her gaze from the lifeless bodies, her eyes returning to their normal onyx/black form, relaxing her tense form that she didn't know was so tense, she listened to the footsteps of her comrades as they walked through the fog to where they'd heard the scream of the boy, knowing that Shinko was most likely something to do with that anguished cry of pain and terror.

Once they'd appeared beneath her, they looked around themselves curiously, noting all the dead and drained bodies on the ground, most were staring at them with dull, lifeless eyes, whilst others had their eyes closed, as if to shut out the monster that'd attacked.

They both looked up at her, seeing her holding the small child in her still strong grip, she stared down at them calmly, as an emotion of some sort flickered across her face at their arrival, before recovering it's usual calm mask, she appeared to have felt a little bad for what'd happened, well, from Hidan's point of view he couldn't call it anything else.

But, she wasn't, far from it.

"So, I see you've killed most of them for us, good, thanks, Shinko." Kakuzu looked away from Shinko's quiet form and round to Hidan, whom was still staring at her like a lusty school boy, Kakuzu then elbowed his partner and snapped "Let's get these bodies burned."

Hidan glared at Kakuzu for interrupting him and snapped back at him "How the fuck are we supposed to do that?! I don't know any fire-style jutsu's!"

"Luckily for you, I do." Shinko muttered down at them, her gaze lowered to the dead human-boy in her right hand, she frowned, as if remembering something of the past or a thought that'd just come to her, with her bare fist she snapped the boys' neck loudly and tossed him to the floor without little care, she weren't even bothered when she heard his spine crush from the matter of his fall, her eyes remained ahead of her now, staring off into the distance as she fell into deep thought.

It'd been three days since the incident with herself and Hidan outside of her bedroom, though, she held no regrets and still looked up to him as she'd done for years, she hadn't bothered to even think let alone talk about the incident, she didn't think there were much to discuss, it seemed that Hidan had completely forgotten about the fiasco, so she decided to 'play-it-cool' as well, not wanting to bring up any awkward situations between them.

Until now that is.

It'd been the next day when they were assigned to this mission, Leader stated _very_ clearly of his dislike for the strong but not that big clan of Metal-style jutsu users, especially when they hadn't been keeping up with their payments from a previous request to the Akatsuki.

They were sent there to annihilate the whole 'Kinzoku' clan, because the clans' leader refused to pay any money towards a debt that they were in to Pein.

Pein obviously grew impatient and angry, so he sent them in to kill them all, knowing that Kakuzu in particular would take this mission seriously-since it involved money.

Of course, they were given a choice to pay the money upfront and Shinko, Hidan and Kakuzu would leave them alone, but, the Leader of the 'Kinzoku' clan didn't relent, instead, he demanded that they leave the clans' compounds immediately.

They didn't, instead they were left with no option, but, to kill them all and take all the money they could find.

They'd obviously succeeded and needed to destroy the evidence that it was a murder by burning the compound and making sure that it looked more like an accident, the blood outside the compound would be washed away with rain.

Looking up at the sky, Shinko knew that the day before had been very humid and sunny, it'd suddenly turned cold and she knew that meant a storm was coming, very soon if she were good with her predictions.

"Thank fuck! Now let's get this boring mission over with! I want to have something _good_ to eat other than riceballs _all_ the time!" Hidan whined as he took the first few bodies from the bloodied grass and walked back over to the 'Kinzoku' clans' compound.

"Argh! Stop your whining Hidan! No one cares about _your_ needs! And stop being so negative all the time!" Kakuzu hissed as he did the same as Hidan and followed him back to the compound, the two still bickering like cat and dog.

Shinko watched after them, mildly amused, though, still deep in thought, until, their figures disappeared into the thick fog, from there she continued to listen to their heated conversation, and didn't bother to move, even when they came back, causing them both to raise an eyebrow at her still form.

"Look Shinko, it would be appreciated if you could stop daydreaming and _help _us!" Kakuzu growled, before Hidan could say anything that may end up offending her rather than motivating her, since she'd punched Hidan unconscious the other night, he seriously did not want to feel her wrath, it looked very painful.

Shinko looked up quickly, then jumped down in her in-human speed, landing gracefully upon the bloodied garss, she then, in equal in-human speed, picked up the dead bodies and disappeared from their gazes as if she'd become invisible once more, only to see her a couple of seconds later picking up more of the bodies and disappearingfrom their sights once again.

"Well, looks like we can leave Shinko to get rid of all the bodies now" Hidan exclaimed on a long yawn, throwing the body he'd just picked up to the floor in annoyance.

"Shut up and help, wasn't it you who said; 'let's get this boring mission over with'? Well, motivate your lazy arse and let's finish it!" Kakuzu snapped at Hidan, as he stalked off with the bodies, leaving the other male standing there growling curses under his breath at how annoying Kakuzu was and how stupid and boring all their missions were, all they seemed to do was walk around, sleep on the hard floor, eat shit food, argue non-stop and barely get any reward out of it.

Hidan would be lucky if he had any hope of a sacrifice within a few days at a time, so he always took every oppurtunity he got, not wanting to miss anything, it was the same for Kakuzu with his money and Shinko with her need to drink blood.

In the next second, Shinko was there, picking up the last two bodies of the dead woman Hidan was originally going to take and the boy she had so heartlessly killed.

Hidan looked over, still in a grim mood on his previous thoughts, he asked "Do you regret killing the fucking kid?"

Shinko paused in her movements, her back to him, so he couldn't read her expression if there were one to pass across her face, she straightened and looking over her shoulder at him, she answered calmly "No. I don't regret it."

And then disappeared.

Hidan huffed out rudely as he got annoyed with Kakuzu always snapping at him and Shinko's ever-cool exterior.

'Oh, how I can't wait to get back and having a fucking nice warm bath and a bloody decent meal-instead of all the crap we've had!' He thought to himself as he pouted slightly, wishing he were able to sleep in a comfy bed for more than one night, eat some decent food that doesn't leave him with a bad stomach and a warm bath that actually stayed warm for hours-maybe with lots of bubbles too!

"Don't worry, we're leaving now." Shinko murmured from behind him, his eyes widened at how she'd gotten behind him without him noticing, she'd almost caused him to jump, he quickly turned round to face her and glaring down at her, he snapped "And where's the bastard?"

"Right here." Kakuzu hissed, coming from the direction of the now deceased 'Kinzoku' clan, he too, was glaring, but back at Hidan.

"I thought _you _were going to burn it all down?!" Hidan snapped back at Shinko, taking some of his grumpy mood out on her, since he never asked to come on a shit mission as this one had turned out to be, as seeming, in the end, he hadn't gotten to sacrifice as many peope as he'd wanted to in the beginning, Kakuzu was very adimant about that fact, the stitch-nin wanted to get the fight over with, without too much drama or problems, Hidan just slowed things down for them with his long rituals and then the half-an-hour praying he always did afterwards.

She didn't faulter in her hard stare at him as she answered on a growl "I already have. See?"

She half-turned from him and pointed towards the now burning compound, that could be faintly seen from where they were stood.

Kakuzu grinned and stated "Ha! Hidan, you've been told!"

Hidan tore his gaze from the burning compound and glared at Kakuzu "Shut up!"

Kakuzu snickered to himself and began to walk off away from the bloody scene, Shinko also walked away from Hidan and followed Kakuzu back onto the path that would lead them slowly back towards the base.

Hidan started muttering curses under his breath and followed behind them, deliberately complaining all the way back for the next two day's, since he disliked it when they ignored him, outsmarted him and walked off without him.

They'd spent the two nights in the forest again, this time away from each other, since what'd occured between Hidan and Shinko, food for the men was barely much to fill them up, all they had were some berries, a fish or two here-and-there and a rabbit that Shinko had caught for them, since Hidan's stomach wouldn't stop it's incessant groaning to be fed, the days were much cooler after that, and just as predicted, a huge thunderstorm ensued for the best part of the next day, leaving them sheltering in a cave for many hours to avoid the heavy downpour-this lengthened their schedule by some more hours, but, they'd still made it back within two days, after Hidan took off at a dead-run in the trees above, wanting to get a good nights' sleep, since the stupid owl kept him up the night before with it's constant hooting, which eventually led to having Kakuzu stabbing him multiple times, because of his impatience and complaining.

Whilst Shinko watched on in mock amusement, not feeling in the slightest bit hungry or guilty, because she'd fed on over half of the 'Kinzoku' clan.

Hidan screamed out for joy like a little girl once he saw the base and all but skipped there, which got him a few glances from Shinko and Kakuzu-who both had known him so long, had never seen him so happy before and he weren't even swearing!

Sasori and Deidara who were leaving on their mission at the time couldn't help but stare as well, wondering what'd gotten into the masochist, all of which didn't have an answer, but thought that it was probably the third most creepiest thing along to Tobi wearing a pink apron and bunny ears to attempt to make dinner-now that, was the second most scariest thing they'd ever witnessed, the first was seeing Itachi grin, the memory of it all, made even Zetsu shiver.

**/*\*/*\**

Once they'd all been to Pein's office to tell him it was a success and give him all the money they'd collected, much to Hidan's annoyance, since his sudden cheerful mood evaporated to silence when it came to money-talk.

They'd each collected their money from the mission and left to go back to their rooms after Pein had told them that he had no other missions for them...yet.

Hidan and Kakuzu went straight back into their rooms, Hidan complaining about wanting a bath and Kakuzu wanting to count his new earnings and both not wanting to spend another moment in each other's company.

Where as, Shinko went off into the lounge where the members all gethered every so often at different times, since the TV in there was much bigger, higher definition and it was a flat-screen.

She went off alone, wanting some space and some quiet-time away from her comrades, even though they'd been curious to where she was wondering off too, they didn't say anything, after what'd happened, they knew she wouldn't leave the base without permission...at least they hoped she wouldn't.

Upon entering the room, she found there was no one there, just like she knew there wouldn't be, the room was completely empty, dark and silent, leaving her to feel right at home.

Most of the other members were away on missions, luckily for her, they didn't have another mission until further notice.

She didn't regret anything that she'd done, there weren't no point in regretting now that she'd done it, however, she knew that she had to lay-low for a while, just in case, it was the most wisest thing she could do for the time being.

She walked into the room and relaxed down onto the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, leaning her back against the sofa and stared at the blank T.V. screen with sad, bright blue eyes.

The room was quite dark, silence was filtered throughout the usually noisey base, Shinko closed her eyes and let herself listen to all the slightest noises.

All she could hear was Hidan running his bath and murmuring more curses to himself, complaining about his muscle aches, Kakuzu tipping his money onto his desk humming to himself-which was very unusual, but he'd just gotten paid, so it was no surprise, Leader was flipping through some paperwork at his desk-sighing in heavily indicating his boredom and tapping his pen against his desk, Konan was sorting some documents to go into the filing cabinets, she weren't doing much, apart from breathing and flipping through the papers, Itachi was in his room, laid on his bed, perhaps, reading a book, and Kisame was...walking around the base, most likely from the kitchen, since it was known that Kisame, Hidan and Tobi were the culprits for snacking out a lot, not that it made any difference to their bodies, they worked it all off with their training and missions.

Everyone else was away.

Shinko sighed to herself wistfully and thought back to when she lived with her grandfather, back at the mansion, on the border of the Void country.

Life had been kept in solitude, they'd shared a rather quiet life, but, she'd enjoyed her grandfather's company more than anything else in the world, he was her idol, the one thing she'd always look up too.

Though, even that seemed such a long time ago, a mere memory of the past.

She squeezed her knees close to her chest and sighed once more, lowering her head into her arms, closing her eyes more tightly, she began wishing that she could see Tadashii again, at least once more, it'd been so long since she'd heard his voice, felt his hand touching her cheek, his breath against her skin, his voice entering her thoughts, his presence that made her feel comforted and his smile...that dazzling, handsome smile, he was everything and if she were totally honest with herself, she'd have had him as a mate or lover if he weren't her grandfather.

She loved him so much, he did so much for her and she hadn't evern said 'thank you', of course she hadn't, the first night Hidan and Kakuzu ad taken her away with them, she'd been too distraught, broken-hearted and very lonely, but, after spending time with them, she got to see them as her friends, perhaps, as family, the parents or siblings she'd never had.

After that, she felt no regrets in leaving with them, only that she missed Tadashii so very much, that the pain in her chest returned once more and she moaned to herself in frustration, seeming to remember the embarrassing moment between herself, Hidan and a certain 'friendly'-looking wooden stake at the time, she'd never live it down!

That's when she felt it, another presence of chakra-so vast, the smell-much like salt, the heartbeat-beating normally, the blood and the sounds of his breathing and footsteps echoed through her head as if it were an empty room.

The door to the lounge was pushed open and the body stopped moving, she knew instantly who it was that was standing there.

"Why are you sat here in the dark?" A male voice called out to her, from the otherside of the room.

Shinko looked up and saw Kisame in the doorway, standing there, arms folded, wearing a little smirk to his lips, nothing ever changed.

She didn't smile, but, lowering her eyes, she answered calmly "I like the dark."

He nodded, having understood her, he walked into the lounge and made himself comfortable on the sofa, next to her.

"How was your mission?" He asked, as he laid back against the sofa, closing his eyes and folding his arms behind his head, totally chilled as though he had nothing to be concerned about.

Shinko stared down at the dark floor and answered quietly "We completed it."

One of his eyes opened, he grinned at her and stated "I know. But, I asked _how_ it went."

Shinko shrugged slightly, not really that interested in the conversation, still she answered emotionlessly "It was easy."

Kisame nodded to himself, smirking slightly, he stated "Well, you _are_ a Dhampir."

She just nodded, then glanced round and up at him, he was still grinning to himself.

"What?" Shinko asked calmly, slight confusion making itself known across her delicate features, as she wondered why he was still looking at her like that, why was he smirking at her?

"Its nothing. But, maybe you should try opening yourself up a bit more? Wouldn't hurt to talk to others." Kisame muttered, as he closed his eye again, and let out a deep sigh.

This totally caught her off-guard and for a few moments she stared at him in silence.

"How so?" Shinko eventually asked, her eyes a little wide with questioning, she appeared like a young student, begging her Sensei to explain to her what he was trying to say.

Kisame opened both his eyes, leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees, one hand went out and stroke a few strands of her pale hair, knowing that she wouldn't hurt him, since they were friends, he muttered "Well, you have partners, it's probably best you talk to them, maybe they'd understand you more than I or the others would, as seeming as they practically raised you for four years, it's your choice, but, I think they'd understand you more than anyone else. Okay?"

Shinko was silent for a few moments, thinking about what Kisame had just said.

It was true, in some sense...she had been keeping herself distanced from them for over a year now, she barely talked to them, becoming almost as bad as Itachi.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to at least talk to them a bit more?

After all, she used to do that a _lot_ when she was younger, until...

She lifted her head up, smiling gently at him, he always cheered her up whenever she felt a little down or unsure, not that she would admit that out loud, instead, she answered "Thanks Kisame, I think I will try."

Shinko got up from the floor, brushing herself down, she gave Kisame a brief hug and left the room on a lighter note.

**To be continued...**

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	9. Deceived Appearance

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Nine: Deceived Appearance**

Kakuzu let out a loud and long yawn, leaning back in his chair from his desk, he stretched his arms out, stretching his tired body from the tension of sitting in one position for hours, keeping his eyes focused on his money on the desk in front of him, making sure to not tip any from their neat, golden piles.

Despite all the usual praying coming from his religious partner; Hidan and the random arrivals and departures of the Dhampir; Shinko, he managed to block everyone and everything out, no matter how loud or how threatening, nothing could stop him from counting his most prized money.

It was his life, and nothing would ever change that, never, not even if the base were to suddenly collapse, he'd protect his money and himself.

He glanced at Hidan, sat over on the otherside of the room, praying, as usual, Kakuzu rolled his eyes at the typical behaviour, all Hidan ever did was eat, sleep, pray and shout curse words and mostly empty threats.

Kakuzu shook his head in disapproval and then looked over at Shinko's bedroom door that was always closed and locked all the time, if anything, he wished that the girl would at least speak to him more, she'd been too quiet for so long and he knew something was bothering her and it weren't the 'Youchi' clan, something big was bothering the girl, and well, he was curious, she hardly spoke now-a-days, which was the opposite in comparison to when she'd first joined, besides, it'd save himself from having to make a useless conversation with the 'Jashin-lover', to be fair, no one could have a serious conversation with him.

It was at the exact moment that Kakuzu thought of that, Hidan's body froze to the spot, he stopped praying, glancing uncomfortably to his side and glared at Kakuzu in annoyance when he saw that the stitch-nin was staring at him with those hard eyes of his, that secretly creeped Hidan out-especially, when they were directed solely on him.

"Would you stop fucking staring at me!" Hidan spat out harshly, feeling even more creeped out at the realization that he didn't know how long the other man had been staring at him, though, if he was attempting to make Kakuzu jump, he'd failed dismally, since the man just stared at him a little longer with those freaky eyes of his and turned away slowly.

Kakuzu shrugged as he did so and sighed out loud, muttering "You're a waste of space Hidan, I don't know why I put up with you _half_ as much as I do."

"Oh-it's on you fucker! Get over here and fight!" Hidan bellowed across the room at Kakuzu's back, his hand at the ready to grab his scythe at any moment, Hidan was on edge ever since that morning, having finally arrived back the day before from the tedious mission that had him complaining all the way there-and-back again, he'd woken up with a headache, since he shouted so much for the past few days, though, that was Hidan altogether.

Loud and annoying.

"Why would I waste my time fighting you? You're boring and are so loud, time is money and I can't afford to waste it on the likes of you." Kakuzu stated more as a matter of fact, than explaining why he didn't want to fight his partner and it was probably because of the fact that he knew Hidan wouldn't die and instead, he'd shout more than he has that morning, even if he'd just be a head, it was very amazing how he could still shout when he was just a head, but seriously, he really didn't want to do that to the Jashinist, for it meant having ear ache for the next week afterwards.

"Is money _all_ you ever fucking think about?!" Hidan exclaimed out loud on a long, heavy sigh, feeling as though he'd no sooner sacrifice Kakuzu to Jashin than endure another lecture about the 'wondrous' ways of money.

"But of course, you really are dense, Hidan, I thought you'd have at least paid attention to the many times I have to keep repeating myself about how useful money is..." Kakuzu continued on for what was about twenty minutes of money-talk, though Hidan had shut-down and had not been paying attention since the beginning of the lecture, seeming as he'd heard of it for at least twenty times over, after a while though, his patience ran very thin and ended up jumping to his feet with his scythe in hand and shouted "Would you just shut the fuck up before I slice your arse?!"

Kakuzu merely shut his mouth slowly and glared at the younger man, almost making Hidan shiver, he really didn't like those eyes of his, however, he loved pissing people off, it was one of his hobbies, poking fun of others and talking big made him feel good about himself, since, he didn't think that highly of himself...well, deep down in his subconscious he didn't, though, he'd never think or even admit to such a thing, since Hidan's-way was the only way for him, no matter what anyone else said.

"I was explaining to your rather thick skull that money _is_ important, no matter how you look at it, it's-" Hidan cut Kakuzu off in mid-sentence as he sat down once more.

"Didn't you say something about 'time being money'? And why don't you ever bloody well spend the money you have?" Hidan groaned in boredom, already half-asleep.

"Oh yeah, I did, why would I spend my wonderful money?! How could you even think of such a thing?!" Kakuzu implored as he turned his hungry gaze towards the stacks of money on his desk, starting to stroke it carefully, murmuring incoherent words to it that Hidan could no longer hear, though, the sight of Kakuzu stroking his money with that sick gleam in his eyes made Hidan want to gag.

Hidan shrugged and snapped "You are fucking weird Kakuzu, I don't see why I was ever put with you in the first place!"

"Because I always killed the other partners of mine, they always tried to either steal my money or get on my nerves-like you are doing right now!" Kakuzu rounded on the white-haired man, as he turned round swiftly in his chair, glaring at the other man once more.

"Well-duh! If it was up to me-I'd have _no_ fucking partners, and that'd be the end of it, but _noooo_ I had to be put with a money-greedy zombie and a unsociable half-vamp!" Hidan shouted out in frustration, it seemed that he was very unlucky in these circumstances.

It was only when he saw Kakuzu's slightly 'angelic' and calm expression, staring _past_ himself, did Hidan freeze in his spot on his mat, he noticed that Kakuzu had some essence of humour written on his face, since he was most likely grinning like a cheshire cat behind his mask.

He turned round slowly and looked up at Shinko's rather stiff body, she wore a dark expression, it was unreadable, but he saw her eyes glowing so bright, either out of hunger or anger, he couldn't decide which one it was, but knew that it was most likely that latter, after all, she was holding a tray with food on it in her hands.

Hidan didn't say anything and when Kakuzu coughed a little, her eyes darted across the room at the oldest of the three of them.

Kakuzu moved in his chair slightly, trying to ease the uncomfortable silence, already noticing the rising tension, coming from both of them, he didn't want them fighting again, not after what happened last time, it left his arms sore for a couple of days, since in her rage, Shinko had ripped most of the stitches apart, which meant they had to heal so he could use them again.

"Shinko..." Hidan muttered under his breath, Kakuzu didn't seem to hear him mutter her name in regret at his harsh words, but, he weren't sure if she'd heard him-though, he had a fair idea she had, he didn't mean them to sound as harsh as they did, but they were true, Kakuzu was very greedy when it came to money and Shinko was very unsociable, especially to them, even after how much time they'd spent together, Hell, they'd become almost family, it felt natural to be that way, and although he wanted to apologise to her, he knew now that he'd said those words, no apology would be good enough for her, she knew they were true, that's why she was angry and he found himself tongue-tied, what could he say?

"Shinko, why do you have food?" Kakuzu asked as he peered at the food on the tray, by the looks of it, there was enough there for two people and if he were correct, that meant she'd prepared food especially for them, for she wouldn't be carrying a tray with food on it in their room otherwise, Kakuzu could hear his stomach rumbling faintly in reply and he'd only realised that he'd skipped lunch again.

She snapped out of her trance, realising she'd been staring off into space again, she walked straight past Hidan, not even glancing at him and went over to Kakuzu, she placed some food down by him on his desk from the tray, and answered almost shyly, mostly it was uncertainty "I made some food for the both of you, I-I don't know whether it tastes any good...I can't eat any of that stuff...it's my first try..."

Kakuzu nodded in thanks and picked up the bowl of rice, feeling grateful that he didn't have to get up and make the food himself.

Curry and rice, it looked good and he hoped it would taste just as good as it looked.

Shinko eventually turned and walked over to Hidan where he was sat on the floor, kneeling down, she set the rest of the food in front of him on the floor, not even looking up at him as she did so, her eyes lowered and her face looked rather calm, devoid of expression, since he couldn't decide which expression she had on her face.

Hidan looked up at her with curious eyes, he knew she'd never cooked before, since she didn't eat normal foods, but for her to go out of her way and make something for them, almost made him rather humble, he knew now looking at her beautiful, pale face that she was special to them, both Hidan and Kakuzu, she was young and very talented, she could do so much with her life, yet, she was confined to the organization and because of what she was, she couldn't ever live a normal life, her urge for blood was too strong and the Demon Hunters would only have a better oppurtunity to kill her if she were on her own.

"Thank you...Shinko..." She looked up at him with some hint of surprise, seeing nothing but genuine appreciation written on his face as he gave a rather lovely small smile-one that she'd only ever seen maybe twice before, it made her forget what he'd said earlier, for she knew that she needed to work on her social skills and this was one way of doing it.

She gave a genuine smile in return and she could see the slight surprise in his eyes, though his smile faltered a little because of this, feeling better now that he'd noticed she'd gone to some trouble to cook for them, since she'd never cooked before and she was hoping with all her might that it'd taste good, she stood up slowly, having shed her black, leather, knee-length goth boots and her long black cloak with the blue rim upon the edges, she looked much more at home in her short-strapped, pale blue top and black skirt that reached a little above mid-thigh, she was still wearing those fingerless, light blue gloves that went half-way up to her elbow, the symbol of her clan was imprinted on the back of her hand in black.

Her long hair was tied up in a long, low braid behind her head, she must've placed it up whilst cooking, even so, her white hair looked beautiful no matter how she wore her hair.

She walked over to Kakuzu faintly asking the stitch-nin how the food was, whilst Hidan watched them on the otherside of the room, alone, a small stab of anger built up within him, though he didn't know why, it weren't aimed directly at Shinko, since he just didn't like it that Shinko and Kakuzu were so close and talked often, well, probably more than she does with him, he couldn't quite describe how he felt, though calmed himself down and took a mouthful of the food himself, still staring across the room at them, until his eyes went wide.

"This tastes-" Kakuzu didn't get chance to finish because Hidan shouted out "Fuck this tastes like shit!"

Shinko winced from the noise and felt her slightly cheerful mood plumit, her face devoid of expression, though her eyes looked very sad, Kakuzu saw this and he knew that she felt disappointed in her abilities to not even produce something nice for them to eat.

Kakuzu glared at Hidan and snarled "Shut the hell up, Hidan, it's not that bad!"

Shinko glanced up from the floor and stared at Kakuzu, surprised that he'd speak up in her defense and she felt rather happy inside that he would do that, for she knew that Kakuzu wasn't a patient person by nature and didn't like to speak a lot, only when necessary.

Hidan noticed the look the Dhampir was giving the older man and a frown creased his forehead, making him angry more and more by the second, what right did that freak have to look at Shinko like she was solely _his_? And why does Shinko look at him with such high-respect in her eyes for _him_?!

"It's alright then? You don't think it's terrible?" Shinko asked, feeling rather uncertain now, she knew she could read their minds for the truth, but, she was rather worried that if she did, she'd hear something she wouldn't want to hear and she didn't want to get upset.

Kakuzu nodded in approval and reassurance, taking another mouthful, he answered "It's not the best food I've tasted, but it's good enough, you just need to keep practising, it's actually not all that bad."

Shinko smiled a little happier after hearing that, Kakuzu was always very positive with her, or well, so she'd like to think, but she knew he wouldn't try and cheer anyone else up, only her, her shyness at exploring a new hobby worked up it's insecurities, she fiddled with the tray in her hands, holding it up to her chest, trying to hide the clear uncertainty written across her face.

Hidan noticed this, Kakuzu may have done, but, was now too pre-occupied with eating his food, to worry about a half-vamp feeling insecure and perhaps shy.

'She looks even more enchanting when she's shy.' Hidan thought to himself, as he felt himself unable to tear his gaze away from her face, even the average-tasting and mouth-watering smell of the food could not tempt him away from Shinko's unusually shy form, it was a rare sight to see and he felt lucky to see it, she was so out-of-character, that he wondered whether he was sleeping again.

She gasped out loud, having heard his thoughts, though Kakuzu didn't notice, her eyes flashed to meet his and he stared back, something made the air tense, whether it was lust or uncertainty, they didn't know, but, Shinko knew that Hidan was looking at her as though he wanted to lap up some of her own blood, she stared at him for about a minute, before hesitantly tearing her gaze from his, she turned shyly to Kakuzu and began to make a random conversation with him that included what sort of foods he liked and how his counting was going.

Indeed, from where he was sat, Hidan knew she was becoming more enchanting to him by-the-day, something was seriously wrong with him.

Maybe he was ill?

Maybe he was...no, he wasn't!

He could never fall in love, it was not for him, and Shinko was three years younger than himself and very religious, most girls would be uncomfortable by that, but, Shinko wasn't like most girls...maybe, she could feel the same way as himself?

He shook his head furiously from where he was sat, deciding it was best to ignore that thought, it would lead them nowhere, only to heartbreak and disappointment.

Maybe one-day he'd tell her that he's attracted to her, but, for now, it was probably best just to wait for her to gain more experience, she was still young and from what he could gather, she'd never dated or been in a serioues relationship, he was pretty sure her grandfather had sheltered her in her upbringing, unless...nah.

He knew Tadashii Hoshi wouldn't rape his granddaughter, he knew for a fact that she loved him a lot, no one would still care for someone after being hurt physically or mentally, besides, she would've told him if something had happened, whether by her grandfather or not, no matter what it was, she'd tell him...right?

**/*\*/*\**

The rest of that day had gone by very slowly, leaving a certain member of the Akatsuki bored.

It was always like this everday.

Some of the members would either be out on missions, training in their training rooms they share with their partners, or in this case; team or be lazing around the base somewhere mostly wanting to be left alone to their own devices and thoughts.

Indeed, life here was very dull and boring.

There was little to do, but, given the freedom, they could easily go anywhere they wished too, only with Leader's permission of course, since he knew when it was safe to leave and when not.

Even shopping or hiking through various mountains or resting in the forest seemed more of a task than something to enjoy, it was even worse when the weather wasn't on your side.

The other members were becoming a rather boring lot, they were always clashing with each other over the smallest things, only because they have different beliefs or opinions or they'd simply ignore each other and continue with their own plans as if no one else were there.

Tobi couldn't think of anything 'fun' to do anymore, he was bored shitless, even his toys weren't fun anymore, he'd played with them so many times, he'd even started begging Kisame to 'play' with him-which immediately had him sulking, since Kisame was a grown-man and wouldn't play with him at all, not even hide-and-seek.

Tobi folded his arms across his chest, he started sulking silently, fed-up with the everlasting boredom that stuck to him like leech, or for a better example of the way he was always hanging onto Deidara and Zetsu for everything.

He seriously got really upset when Deidara and Zetsu were away at the same time.

Leaving him with no one to talk too, since the others always locked their bedroom doors or threaten to kill him.

A lone figure passed the room, catching his keen gaze, he scrambled to his feet and peering out the doorway, he watched intently on Shinko's disappearing form going around the far corner at the end of the corridor, it looked as though she'd just come from the kitchen.

He snickered to himself, despite Shinko creeping him out all the time with the way she dressed and those creepy eyes of hers that glowed in the dark, it also didn't help that her attitude towards others was as cold as an ice-cube, he couldn't think of the last time they had a proper conversation.

Oh wait, that was never.

Tobi raised a fist to his chest in determination, he was going to do it now, he would finally gain enough courage and speak to Shinko for more than forty seconds, which hopefully wouldn't end up with her fangs sunk into his neck, he hated the sight of blood-mainly _his_ blood.

He shivered, but, quickly ran out of the room, he went down the dark hallway, turning the corner that he saw the girl go around, he found no one there.

'Where did she go?' He thought to himself, feeling his mood sink once more, depression starting to eat away at him, only because he was bored-as usual, he only wanted someone to talk too.

"What do you want, Tobi?" He shouldn't really have been too surprised to hear her voice coming from behind him, since she was always doing that, but, this was Tobi, it was always the slightest things that scared him.

He squealed loudly and fell to the floor in shock, he looked up at Shinko, whilst shivering, he got himself to stand-up again, coughing slightly once he was on his feet, he twirled round to face her, slowly regaining some courage.

"Shinko, Tobi wanted to...err..." What could he say? 'I want to speak to you?' That would be stupid.

"What do you want to speak to me about?" Shinko growled, gettng annoyed that he was taking ages in thinking of a question now an answer for hers.

"Tobi just wanted to talk...we never really talked before...so Tobi wanted to-"

"Why do you want to talk to _me_?"Shinko narrowed her bright blue eyes at his still shivering form, that was now twiddling his fingers nervously.

"Err...anything. Tobi is bored, and err..." He trailed off as his mind went blank, despite him being slightly taller than her he acted like a small child, she glared at him.

'He certainly is wasting my time with such nonsense,' she thought on a subtle growl.

"I don't have anything to talk about, so, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my room." Shinko hissed coldly, as she passed him in half her normal speed that would normally pass others by in a flash, not even bothering to waste her efforts in geting away from the poor excuse of a shinobi.

She was stopped firmly in her tracks.

A hand had latched onto her arm.

His hand.

She looked down at the hand, a little surprised that he'd managed to grab onto her arm, no one had ever been able to do that before, so...how?

She then looked round and up at Tobi's orange mask, raising an eyebrow in question, hoping he couldn't see the surprise in her eyes, she then asked, a little freaked out at how he managed to grab her so quickly "What is it?"

"I wasn't finished. It's rude to leave a converation, when somone hasn't finished." A slightly darker, more menacing voice surfaced, instead of his normally cheerful tone, causing Shinko to once again raise an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Fine. What is it you wanted to talk to me about? Make this quick." Shinko snapped the end part off, as she shrugged Tobi's slightly strong hand from her left arm, a slight shiver going down her spine as she could feel the sudden blast of chakra coming from his form, she didn't like what was happening, but, it seemed that he was determined to speak to her.

"Don't you ever wonder if you are the only one who has eternal life?" Tobi questioned in his eerie voice, that had Shinko feeling slightly creeped out herself, it was too smooth and had a sort of twang to it that made it sound educated and born of a high class-which was definitely not like the snivelling Tobi she'd been accustomed to avoiding.

What was wrong with him?

Something has changed, his creepy aura, his smooth voice, his sudden opposite mood-his mighty chakra!

How utterly powerful it felt, so much so, that she herself, was feeling rather suffocated by his very presnece, luckily for herself, she didn't need to breath in order to live, however, she knew that she only had to speak to him and then she could leave.

Upon her return to Kakuzu and Hidan she hadn't even thought that Tobi would come out and bother her, she disliked the weakling intensely, mainly since he was so annoying and never shut up, unless Pein told him too.

She sighed mentally, the dinner for her senpai's had been a small acheivement, it may have not tasted great, but, it was her first try and she planned to make some practise, she needed to keep herself busy, instead of wallowing away in her bedroom everyday and she intended to use Hidan and Kakuzu as her test subjects for food-tasting, she knew they wouldn't mind, for it meant a free meal and she knew how bad Hidan's cooking could be, from what the others said, he was good at cooking fish, riceballs and average at making dango, everything else was almost as foreign to him as it was to her.

"I know there are others..." Shinko muttered darkly, this wasn't a lie, she knew there were others, for example; Hidan and possibly Kakuzu and perhaps even Pein himself, but she didn't want to think of such things, she didn't want to be reminded of the long eternity that was awaiting ahead of her.

She continued to stare at him, even as he moved close to her, lifting a hand to her check, cupping it, he began stroking her cheek softly, almost making her cringe and glare up at him, he didn't seem bothered by this and just stared down at her, so close he was that she could see through his eyehole on his mask.

Was that-?!

No. It couldn't be! It is!

The Sharingan!

But, why does Tobi have the Sharingan?!

Another luck to her vampiristic-self, the Sharingan doesn't work on her, her age has been stopped from the point of when she turned nineteen, that also meant that her mind could not be penetrated, she was above that level, she was a Demon, not that she was proud of what she is.

This left the Uchiha clan at a high disadvantage, as seeming as their strongest asset lies in their Kekkei Genkai.

But, why does Tobi have the Sharingan?

Did he steal it? Is he a member of the Uchiha clan?

Shinko blinked and calmed herself, remembering that Tobi was an Akatsuki member like herself, he must have at least some skill if he was allowed to join the Akatsuki, but, when she meant skill, she didn't think he'd turn up with the Sharingan!

'Did Itachi know?' She wondered to herself, though, didn't want to get involved in his clan's affairs or anyone else's affairs, it meant too much hassle.

"Indeed, there are..." He muttered, still staring down at her with his only slightly visible red eye, it narrowed at her, amusement was hinted in his eye, though, it looked more like a sadistic sense of humour.

She could see the tomoe's working overtime in his eyes, daring to activate the Sharingan on her, though, she weren't worried and she knew that when he stepped back, as if utterly surprised she knew that he'd learned that it was useless on her.

He was still for a few moments, looking to be paralyzed in shock, his limp hand fell to his side, Shinko could no longer see the Sharingan from where he was standing in the dark and she presumed he'd succumbed and had de-activated it.

Shinko took this as the perfect time to depart.

"I will leave you now." Shinko muttered coolly, still feeling rather surprised that Tobi had the Sharingan, though, she bowed slightly to him since he was above her rank-she was a mere subordinate, where as, Tobi was an actual member, she then turned away from him and walked off back to the 'living area' in her super-speed, feeling more than thankful to get away from him.

This time, Tobi didn't stop her.

**To be continued... **


	10. Bloody Urge

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Ten: Bloody Urge**

Shinko slammed the door behind herself, shutting out the darkness from the cold corridors and Tobi's creepy presence.

Even before she'd entered the room, she'd already known Hidan was laid there in the 'living area', on his usual mat, though, it'd seemed as though he'd just finished his usual ritual or otherwise known as 'praying'.

Fresh blood was seeping past his chin, down his chest, onto his trousers and forming a puddle on the floor from where he lay upon the fresh-blood covered Jashin symbol on the dark floor beneath him.

His eyes opened slowly, as if he'd just woken from a nap, he groaned to himself harshly from his chest wound-where the metal stake was stuck out of him, slowly he pulled himself to sit on his butt, he coughed once and froze when something caught his right eye.

He seemed to turn to face the stoic figure in slow-motion.

Magenta eyes clashed with her bright blue ones, he stared at her calmly, though once her gaze left his and glanced down at the fresh blood in hunger and something close to fright, did he follow her gaze.

He stiffened visibly as he stared at his blood, quickly looking back up at her with alarmed eyes, his heartbeat accelerating, warning bells rang out in his head as he saw the inner turmoil infusing within her eyes, he knew she was battling herself to remain in control, her breath was coming out in ragged gasps.

He could sense the immense power that she was using to 'control' herself from jumping across the room and sucking his blood dry, he didn't know what to do in a situation like this one, it weren't as if Kakuzu were here to help and he'd certainly never done a ritual in the 'living area' before, he couldn't do so at the moment, because Konan had stated that his room needed cleaning, since the smell emanating from all the blood was terrible and almost made her gag when she passed their room, it was clean now, he just needed to wait for a little while for the wet floors and walls to dry, he'd figured Shinko had gone away to either feed or get some fresh air, he hadn't expected her to be back so quickly, he'd thought he could get himself cleaned up before she'd returned.

Clearly that hadn't worked according to his plan.

"Shinko…" his voice came out as a strangled murmur and it trailed off as her name rolled over his tongue like a gentle caress, it felt foreign to him at the time and he suddenly became very aware of the situation they were both in.

What was there to say?

He couldn't ask her if she wanted him to leave, he had every right to being in the room just as she did, but, at the same time, he also wanted to get out of there with the rest of the blood flowing through his veins.

She started trembling, still staring at him, she took one hesitant step forward, towards him, her hands were curled into small-ish fists at her sides, her knuckles were more white than her skin, proving how difficult it was for her to keep herself under control and her breaths were long and deep.

He mentally panicked, knowing it would only take her a split second to get to him if her control wavered or snapped, yet, at the same time, he didn't dare move, he couldn't.

He was paralyzed, with fear?

No.

He would never be afraid, he'd even bragged to Kakuzu that _if_ there was a possibility for him to die, he'd laugh death in the face...and most likely curse at it too whilst he was there...

It was her powers, he knew it was true, for he was unable to move his body, his mind would tell him to stand and run to his room, but his body wouldn't react, his muscles ached and his joints felt stiff, he was feeling totally helpless, something he hadn't felt in many years.

He felt himself start to sweat with worry and he looked up at her with wide eyes, only to see what he thought; the impoosible, to occur.

With incredible force, Shinko jerked her gaze away from his, determined to not look at him anymore, she couldn't allow herself to hurt him and fell to the floor gasping loudly, her arms wrapped around her upper-body, hugging herself tightly, her whole body trembling violently, he stood up abruptly to go to her aid.

"Shinko! What-"

"Get out! Go! G-get rid of your b-blood, before-" She bit off the last few words, unable to finish her sentence, her hand shot to her mouth, holding it there, looking as though she were about to be sick, though, he knew she was trying very hard to prevent herself from acting upon her urges.

Without anymore prompting, Hidan jumped to his rug, took it with him as he lept straight into his room, closing the door behind himself loudly and locking it from the inside-despite knowing that would do little to help, it would at least buy him some time, leaving Shinko outside on the floor, alone, still catching her breath, trying to relax her nerves.

Never had she had so many problems with her urges before, she'd never had this much trouble, it was only recently that her hunger for blood was spiralling out of control, she didn't know why that was, but, she had an idea that it was something to do with Hidan, it always seemed as though whenever he were around, she continously wanted to drink his blood, it was such a horrid urge that every evening before retiring to her room, she always stared at herself in the bathroom mirror and frown.

Why was it happening now? Why only him? There were plenty of other victims, why was he so special?

She didn't understand any of what was happening between them, she just knew that most of the time when they were together-often when alone, her body would act on it's own.

She'd started to become frightened of herself, she didn't like this ugly side to her that everyone was seeing almost all the time now, she didn't want to hurt her companions, they'd done so much for her, protected her from the others and trained her, she'd become a fine fighter, but, it'd only been through the help of others that she'd made it this far, she couldn't be so ungrateful now, she wouldn't hurt them, she just couldn't...

It was only ten minutes later that Hidan came out of his room looking rather wary and was very silent, he was now clean and blood-free, looking a damn sight better and he felt it.

He spotted her huddled form sat in the dark corner of the room, facing the wall, nearest her bedroom door, her head buried in her arms.

She looked so helpless and alone, so much like the kid he remembered and he felt himself soften...a little.

He turned to his side slowly, laid his rug down in his usual spot-next to his bedroom door, taking his time, once he was satisfied with where it was, he straightened up and slowly walked over to her still form.

He stopped behind her, staring down at her with a calm expression, he knew that she was aware of his presence behind her.

"I'm sorry…" Shinko mumbled against her arm, her voice almost muffled, she moved her head slightly to the other side, but, still didn't show her face to him, it was as if she didn't want him to look at her.

Hidan sighed, kneeling down behind her, he watched her for a minute, feeling the strong urge to sroke her long, pale locks, he wanted to make her feel better, knowing it was very difficult for her to hold back as she did and he was grateful that she had.

"You are very strong. That must've taken some bloody hard work to stop yourself from-"

"I wouldn't do that! Not to you! I wouldn't…" Shinko stated herself, lifting her head up, she glanced round at him over her shoulder, her expression grim, her eyes were now that beautiful shade of onyx he rarely saw, she was always on alert, never calming down and relaxing, always ready to defend herself and attack, this was the first time in days, perhaps weeks that he'd seen her natural eye colour and he had to admit that it made her look younger and less harsh, more innocent and approachable.

He smirked a little, though it didn't reach his eyes, it weren't his signature cocky smirk that she and the other members of the Akatsuki had gotten used too, but, something more relaxed and perhaps sad...or maybe humorous about it.

He looked as though he were deep in thought, Shinko had to admit, that was as rare as his genuine small smiles that he only gave her, she wished he'd do it more often, it made him look as though he appreciated things and was more human, she liked that, the fact that he could look very much like a human when she couldn't.

Their gazes met and held, it weren't filled with passion or lust, this time, there was a longing, one of sadness and sympathy, it was then that he slowly wrapped his strong arms around her slim form from behind her, feeling the unusual need to comfort her and that maybe...he needed to be comforted in return.

He was glad when she didn't jerk away from him and demand him to never touch her like that again, he took it as a sign of acceptance and he pulled her closer to him, relishing in the feel of her body against his, her head leaned back against his shoulder and her eyes closed of their own violation, liking that sense of peace she felt in that instant.

He rested his chin upon her head gently, sighing, he muttered "I'm glad."

She turned her face into his chest, once again breathing in his scent, on a sigh of her own, she muttered "Hidan…?"

He closed his eyes slowly, enjoying the feelings fluttering inside his stomach too damn much "What?"

She nestled herself against him more, as she answered in an almost shy voice "Will...you read me a story?"

His eyes snapped open, hardly believing his ears, did he hear right?

It'd been so long since he'd read to her, it was one of the things he missed most, he didn't care whether she was old enough to read to herself, he just enjoyed it and everytime that happened, they always fell asleep together on the sofa, which was some sort of revenge on Kakuzu, since the miser would often hog the sofa to himself when watching TV.

He pulled away from her, his hands going onto her shoulders, he saw her open her dark eyes and turned round to face him, looking up at him curiously, he smiled lightly at her in relief, it was obvious she was trying to make more of an effort in opening up to himself and Kakuzu, he'd been worried after she'd shut herself away that something bad had happened and she just wouldn't say anything, he hadn't even been too sure that he'd been the one that instigated her sudden change in mood, but, now it was clear that he hadn't anything to worry about.

"Fuck, yeah."

She smiled in some small relief and he helped her up, away from the corner of the room, he left her as she sat down on the sofa and began searching through the bookcase, wondering what to read to her, he wanted something lengthy so they could easily fall asleep, but also, something interesting.

Shinko couldn't seem to hold in her excitement and was soon kneeling on the sofa and staring over the back of it and watching the Jashinist 'hmming' and 'ahhing' about which one to pick, she felt a small giggle bubble up within her, though, suppressed it, she felt a little silly asking him of this, she weren't a kid anymore, she shouldn't be demanding things that she once enjoyed, she shouldn't be giggling or smiling like some...weakling...

She was a warrior, a Demon, a monster, she was what little kids always had nightmares about, yet...here she was, smiling and giggling like a weakling, no, not a weakling, but, like...a human, she became confused, staring at Hidan's back intently, she wondered why it was that she was feeling such intense emotions lately, why was that?

It was because of him, wasn't it?

Hidan made a sound almost close to delight, it seemed he was relishing in the fact that he'd finally found a book to pick to read to her and Shinko could feel her stomach doing that sort of weird jig again, she didn't know why that was or what it meant, but, one moment it cause some discomfort, the next, she felt herself smiling as he turned and walked round the sofa to come and sit down next to her, holding a deep brown, fairly decent-sized book in his hand.

He relaxed down on the sofa, sighing in relief, waving it as if it were a trophy, he stated "You have so many fucking books! Couldn't decide which little bugger to pick."

She prevented that giggle from earlier surfacing once more and settling down on her butt, she answered "I love books."

He grinned and flipped the book open, looking for the front page, he mentally felt rather out of place and a little silly doing this, maybe this weren't such a good idea?

'No! Shut the fuck up! This may be the only oppurtunity I have to help her become more talkative, even if it's just towards me...' Hidan thought to himself indetermination, only to be snapped out of his thoughts once he felt Shinko snuggling close to him, she looked very shy and he knew that if she were human, she'd be blushing profusely, yet she leaned her body against his and wrapped her hands around his right arm, leaning her head against it, she murmured "Thank you, Hidan...this-this means a lot to me..."

He stared at her silently for a few moments, as if in shock, before he smiled that genuine smile again and before he began reading to her, he answered with some sort of heavy emotion that he couldn't quite describe "You're welcome."

**/*\*/*\**

It was the next day that she'd been assigned a mission to complete on her own, it was only something that she could do on her own, this had been made clear when the mission had been laid out before her, it'd surprised her, though, she knew something similar to this had been waiting to happen.

Zetsu had told Pein that the Demon Hunters had finally made their move, they were within a twelve-mile radius of the base, that was two days ago.

It'd been another uneventful day of scouting for Shinko, once again she hadn't seen them and began to wonder whether Zetsu was playing a prank on her, if he was, then she'd make certain to break his neck, though, she had a feeling that he wouldn't do that, he wouldn't at least take it to Leader about it, he wouldn't risk bringing this into the open if it were a mere prank.

If the Demon Hunters found the base, then it would be a catastrophe, they couldn't afford to have another base discovered, it'd taken them a couple of months prior to find the base they were currently residing at, there also weren't enough money to be spared to relocate their base and pay for workers to make it liveable.

So, she was sent on a mission to go scouting, to find them, before they found _her_, it was all rather simple, the problem was that she had to find them, her hearing was limited to a mile a couple of miles top-side, she'd been listening, sniffing and searching for two days now and still nothing had happened.

Though, she was feeling nervous, she didn't understand why that was, but, she knew something didn't feel right, it was too quiet for her liking and she had a distinct feeling that the Demon Hunters weren't so primitive as they're believed to be, it seemed that they could wield some in-human abilities of their own, making them super-humans.

What those abilities were, she didn't know, but she had a distinct idea that she would eventually find out.

Breaking from her thoughts, Shinko looked around herself, her senses exquisitely keen and ready for anything that would come her way, once again listening out for the slightest sound of their presence.

She rested herself on a branch by kneeling down, deciding to take a break from all the running around she'd been doing for two days straight, she knew with a solemn thought that she had to be careful not to exert herself too much, she needed all the energy she could get when it came to battling against the Demon Hunters.

The tree she'd picked was very well camouflaged, covering her completely, but allowed her a small enough gap to peer through, she was about ten metres from the ground, giving her the advantage should they appear out of nowhere and prove her theory about them being super-humans true.

Her now dark eyes grazed over the beautifully dark lake to her far-left, she could see it clearly from where she was resting, even from the distance she could still hear the droplets from the sky smash into the water of the lake, could still see them, and could slightly feel them dampening her long white hair, despite being well-sheltered in the tree.

She thought back to the meeting only two days before her mission, even herself and Zetsu had been invited, it meant something serious.

**/*\*/*\**

_A knock resounded on the door to their 'living area', it had all three heads from inside shoot up and glance at each other in confusion, all wondering the same thing; why were they needed? _

_They hadn't been told about any meeting or mission._

_Kakuzu had got to his feet from his desk, feeling a little annoyed that someone was disturbing him again from counting his money, he'd thrust open the door and Konan was stood there, staring at him in that same uncaring glance that made her look as though she were either high on something or if she were still half-asleep._

_Either way, she stared up at him with little emotion and muttered in a bored tone of voice "Leader has called a meeting in the dining room, be there in five minutes."_

_Kakuzu bit his lip, preventing himself from shouting in her face to tell her that their leader could get stuffed if he was going to take him away from his beloved money, though, he knew that wouldn't be the wise thing to do, instead, he merely nodded at her with such a glare, that once she was turning from him, he slammed the door shut loudly, making the money on his desk sway and the mirror on the wall jiggle._

_Hidan and Shinko's heads snapped up at this in curiosity, it was very rare to see Kakuzu angry and slamming doors, that he'd do something so...much like Hidan would do if he were annoyed._

_"Leader's called a meeting, dining room in...four minutes." He snapped in annoyance and went off to store his money away for thr fifth time that day, that made his hands itch to punch something from frustration._

_Hidan glanced at Shinko, they'd both been watching TV together, not that there was much of anything interesting to watch, so they'd settled on a horror film, that was boring the shit out of them._

_Shinko was staring at the floor with half-lidded eyes, it looked as though she knew what was going to happen and he didn't like that solemn look at all._

_As soon as Kakuzu was ready, they all took themselves off to the dining room, everyone else was already there and waiting, some of them shot glares in their direction for keeping them waiting, though, Kakuzu weren't affected by this at all, he was always glaring at everything, naturally, he was glaring back at them, Hidan smirked loudly and Shinko just stared at them calmly, taking her place beside Leader's left-side and Hidan's right-side along the table._

"_I've gathered you all here so late at night, because I have just received information from Zetsu that we have some unwanted company within twelve-miles of this base and it isn't the average traveller." Pein stated, before sending a glance at Shinko from the corner of his eyes, she looked back at him a little surprised that he would look at her directly, he let out a long sigh before resting his hands on the table in front of him._

_"These are not average shinobi either..." The air tensed at this and the others looked at each other confused, all except Konan, Pein, Shinko, Hidan, Kakuzu and Zetsu, they all knew what was going to happen, now Hidan looked at Shinko with something close to concern, since this'd be her first mission alone._

_"In fact, the only one to rectify this situation is Shinko," he looked at her once more with a stern expression, all the others that hadn't known about this situation stared at her with hard expressions, except from Kisame, it seemed that they were annoyed at this, since all they wanted to do was get out and exercise themselves after being stuck inside for days, now they knew the reason why. _

_Pein continued "They are coming for you, you shouldn't act surprised, especially after what you did, now they are coming for you, you know very well that I can't afford to have this base discovered by anyone on the outside. So, it is your job to go and 'greet' them. I want you to dispose of them all, no exceptions, kill them no matter what, do you understa-"_

"_This is bullshit! You're going to fucking well send Shinko on her own against those bastards? She'll be fucking outnumbered!" Hidan pounded his fist against the table, nearly causing it to smash into pieces, his anger was written all over his face, he didn't like the sound of this idea, this would be her first mission on her own and it weren't against any pansy-arsed Ninja either._

_It was a skilled hunter that were trained specifically to kill creatures like Shinko and her grandfather, even her grandfather had asked for their help, since he had been struggling and he was more powerful than Shinko, he had to admit that even himself and Kakuzu had trouble when they'd gone to aide Tadashii Hoshi in killing the Demon Hunters since they had such unusual abilities._

_Everyone else looked at him in surprise, apart from Itachi and Kakuzu, for one thing, Itachi never allowed his emotions to show on his face, it led others to believe that the wind had blown when he was wearing that serious expression as a kid and had remained that way ever since, where as, Kakuzu was just glaring at Pein, he didn't like the plan either, he thought that she at least needed one other person to go with her to back her up. _

_No one ever dared interrupt Leader when he was in the middle of giving out instructions or news, they knew he was leader and his plans were law to them, because he was the thinker, he knew what their next steps needed to be and only he knew the best and most effecient ways to do it, no one ever went against his judgement...at least, out loud they didn't._

_Surprisingly enough, Pein didn't seem that bothered at all by the sudden outburst from the foul-mouthed member, he merely closed his eyes for a few moments, letting out a small sigh, before opening them once more._

"_It's the only way, only yourself, Shinko and Kakuzu know how they work, I would let you go, but, we need all the man-power we can have here to send you on other missions, since, I can't afford to have any of you injured, we're not getting paid for this...occurence, it is Shinko's fault for getting herself into this situation, therefore, she must deal with it herself." Leader's gaze rested upon Shinko once more, his features grim, the others merely stared at Leader in astonishment, some-like Hidan, had their mouths hung agape at the insult he'd thrown at the half-Vamp with little care of her reaction._

_Hidan and Kakuzu were in an outrage, they'd both never thought to have their...friend insulted like that, they couldn't believe that Pein was asking them to abandon the girl they'd raised for four years, all because they weren't getting paid for it!_

_Shinko merely stared at Leader with hard eyes that were glowing a brighter blue than when they'd entered the room, her jaw was stiff, she was trying to hold herself from slapping Pein across the face for being so rude, but, it was the harsh truth, before, they were being paid for their services by her grandfather, now...they weren't, it weren't because it was her that was the one in trouble, but because the Akatsuki were suffering a little money-wise and couldn't spare any on treating them if they got badly injured._

"_It will be dangerous." Konan interjected with a warning, making sure that the younger girl got the message clearly, staring at the girl with sad eyes, Konan was fond of Shinko, since she was glad that she weren't the only female there, it meant less stress upon herself, but now..._

_She just hoped that Shinko came back alive...or well, as she was at that moment, she didn't want to go back to being the only girl in the Akatsuki._

"_I know." Shinko forced herself to answer quietly, as her eyes lowered to the table, re-focusing her glare on that instead, reminding herself to remain calm._

"_You can't expect her to fight all on her own, it's suicide." Kakuzu spoke up this time, this even sparked-up a hint of surprise from Itachi, since Kakuzu never defended Shinko against Leader's scorn and he certainly never agreed with Hidan._

_Pein shook his head slowly and muttered "Never the less, it is her fight, this happened through her own carelessness, if she'd perhaps had been a bit more discreet then we wouldn't have too much of a problem."_

_Pein shot his weary gaze at Shinko, their eyes met and he muttered "Only you can do this, there should be no worry, since you are much stronger than you were when you came to us, I believe that there shouldn't be anything that would go wrong..."_

_"And what about us? What if something did happen?" Kisame raised the question that all the others were waiting for, he could see Hidan and Kakuzu staring at him out the corner of his eye, but he didn't care, he was Shinko's friend, the least he could do was stick up for her._

_"If anything were to happen, then I'll have no choice but to send Hidan and Kakuzu after her, there shouldn't be any need for that. Everyone else will not be involved in this matter, since it is no one else's concern." Pein shot a stern look at Kisame, before looking back at Shinko._

_"Go and get ready, you leave in an hour." His order was answered with silence, until Shinko sighed from where she sat, getting up, she left the room, this time slowly, the others just watched her leave without saying a word._

**To be continued...**

**I just want to say a big thank you to; 'Riayna Darkheart', 'watergoddesskasey' and 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' for all their lovely reviews! They were very positive and they encouraged me to continue this far, since this would've taken ages to get these chappies out otherwise!**

**If you would like your name mentioned in the next chappie then all you have to do is review! ^^**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	11. Arrival of the 'Youchi' Clan

**A/N: The very chappie you've all been itching to read! It's finally done! This chappie is extra-long since I love you all so much and the support I've gained reviews and messages have kept me going-thank you! Anywho, go and read!**

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Eleven: Arrival of the 'Youchi' Clan**

It'd been two days since she had left the base, she'd been scouting in the a huge circle about five mile-radius around the base, making sure nothing was left unnoticed.

With her incredible speed she was able to do all that within an hour, being able to vary her pace was something short of a gift, though, she was beginning to feel the effects weighing herself down slightly, running around like this at such a pace was necessary, but, she needed to be careful, she didn't want to tire herself out too soon, for when the Demon Hunters make their move, they won't be so lenient, they'd go 'all-out' on her and kill her, no matter what the price.

Thinking back now, she realised that she hadn't had blood in nearly four days, her eyes narrowed as she stared at nothing in particular and knew that she definitely had to be cautious now.

She'd need to be at full power when faced with the Demon Hunters and she wouldn't be able to do that if she kept running around like this, she was getting nowhere and she knew that running around in circles wasn't the answer.

She had a feeling there'd be more than at least three hunting her, running around like she was, was getting her nowhere, she needed to be calm about the whole situation.

Taking a deep breath, she thought over what to do.

Her hearing was excellent and could hear anything for just over two miles all round herself from where she was currently resting in the tree, it'd take her no more than a few minutes to race towards them, no matter where they were.

Problem was, the Demon Hunter's were known as soundless killers, they may be human's themselves, but, their abilities go beyond a mere mortal, their strength was enhanced enough to leave a decent-sized dent in a thick tree, their senses were more accute than the average human, their speed was quite good as well and they had some jutsu that was out of this world-most of their jutsu were merged with weapons, mostly swords, daggers or arrows.

They'll be prepared for a fight, she knew this and it made her thoughtful, she'd heard from her grandfather that she was never to get involved with them, for they were known to hold grudges and their prides were almost as big as their ego which was about the same size as a two-story house.

Shinko rested her hand against the stem of the tree, closing her eyes briefly, she hoped there would be no more than ten, she was weakening slowly and knew that if they came now, she'd certainly _not_ win, but...if there were say about four, then she may have a good chance at winning.

Shinko frowned a little to herself, she had yet to tell Hidan and Kakuzu of her other ability to see things far across lands, pieces of the future, things that others are doing, people that she doesn't remember seeing dying in front of her very eyes, not that she'd been bothered by it, since she'd done her own fair share of killing, it still didn't make it any less annoying.

But, she'd seen them, all of them, the 'Youchi' clan, they were all in their small village that was surrounded by a wooden fence that was as tall as a Hokage tower itself, the buildings inside were made from stone, wood-anything eco-friendly and usable, was used.

It weren't a huge compound, but, big enough for maybe a hundred or more of them to live there, what was more they all had a shade of red hair, maybe a dark pink or auburn here-and-there, but mainly all red hair and they all had different shades of green eyes.

There were three main types of clans; Hoshi-which means; Star, this was the Vampire clan's birth name, Gekkou-which means; Moon, this was the Werewolf clan's birth name and then there were the Youchi-which means; Earth, this name belonged to all Demon Hunters.

The 'Hoshi' clan were spread out amongst the Void country, much like the 'Gekkou' clan, this caused much friction between the two clans, never the less, they managed to stay out of each others' ways, despite the fact that the Vampire's and Werewolves clashed often and there'd been quite a few deaths afterwards, mainly over territory, it weren't unusual to have a Vampire run into a Werewolve's territory whilst hunting, this was often the case.

However, the 'Youchi' clan lived in the Demon country, they secluded themselves from the other two clans, simply because it weren't a safe environment for any children born from the Demon Hunter's.

But, seeing them...it set everything into prespective.

They were serious about their skills, so much so that when she'd seen them, they'd been battling against each other in their training, blades clashing, arrows flew, sparks lit from where their weapons clashed together, cries of frustration and victory rang through the damp air that was heated from their body heat and sweat that clung to them.

Most of them were men, dressed in green, black and bits of red, it were them that wielded the heavier weapons, their bodies toned and healthy so that they could handle their weapons without faltering to catch their breath and they were tall, most of them being at over six foot and it was obvious that they were skilled.

Shinko noticed at the time, that there were only about four maybe even five females-that held an air of masculinity about themselves and were also Demon Hunters, of course there were many women in their clan, but they weren't blood-relatives, the select five females were daughters of pure-blood Demon Hunter's, the other women were probably from different towns or villages and had married into the clan.

The women wielded much lighter weapons, this was to fit their frame-size and strength, the women were also seen to be more flexible than the men during their fights and they all were rather cunning, surprising their opponents with sudden moves that weren't expected, maybe a kick here-and-there in a sword-fight.

One thing was certain; they were _all _highly skilled, most of them at the top of their abilities, some could possibly even match her own judging by how some of them fought against each other.

Her vision of them was not a mere fabrication.

It was reality, she'd seen them, she knew they were coming for her, it would only take a matter of time before they found her and depending on how many were there were, would be the judge of her outcome.

Shinko lowered her gaze to stare at the muddy ground below, sighing sadly, she thought back two nights ago.

**/*\*/*\**

_It was only half-way through reading the story, that Shinko had fallen asleep against Hidan's right arm, her hands still curled round it, sleeping soundlessly._

_Hidan had stopped after he noticed this, his other placed the book down on his lap, he leaned back into the sofa, trying to get more comfortable, he glanced down at the Dhampir, realising he was succesful in not waking her up and instead, chose to watch her sleeping next to him, he seemed to be watching her for hours, but was really only twenty minutes, before his eyes began drooping slowly, sleep overcoming him, despite the scare he'd had earlier._

_But, he was still alive and he weren't complaining._

_How could he?_

_He had Shinko laid next to him sleeping, like she used too, it was obvious that she weren't bothered since she was the one to curl up to him and hold onto his arm, as if she were worried that once she woke-up, he'd be gone from her sights._

_She looked so innocent in her sleep, you wouldn't have guessed that she's a half-Vampire, drank the blood of her victims and often enjoyed in killing her prey, she looked like an average young woman should, minus the white hair, the fangs, the Gothic clothing and those eyes of hers that shone more often than a lightbulb._

_After another five minutes, he too was asleep, snoring to himself._

_Kakuzu returned to the 'living area' later that evening, having talked with Leader once more about money, he was looking forward to laying in his bed and getting some sleep._

_Though, he was very surprised to see Shinko curled up next to Hidan, both of them sleeping and what's more, a book was in Hidan's lap._

_'Holy shit! He can read!' Kakuzu eyes bulged wide at that, the shock so terrible that he rendered speechless and left them quietly to retire to his room, not even curious or bothered at the thought that Shinko and Hidan were sleeping together on the sofa, oh no, he was more shocked that the Jashinist could read!_

_The next morning had been a little surprising to say the least, for when Shinko woke up, she was rather speechless when she found herself so close to someone else and who else but the very man she was having trouble controlling her urges against?_

_Hidan's head was laid over the back of the sofa, he was snoring softly, which made her curious to what time it was, she saw the clock and it read; 8:45am._

_She weren't up too early, she also had a distinct feeling that Hidan wouldn't wake up for at least another hour or so, but was proven wrong when she saw him stir, his magenta eyes opened, squinting at the ceiling as he moved to sit forward, it was obvious his neck was stiff from how he slept the night before._

_She smiled a little at him, waiting patiently for him to acknowledge that she was there, still holding onto his arm and staring at him with interest._

_When he did see her, he merely raised a white eyebrow at her, wondering why she was smiling at him, oh no...he didn't say anything in his sleep did he?!_

_He blushed a little at this, it was very well-known among the Akatsuki that Hidan often spoke/shouted/sung the various truths that no one knew about him during his sleep or something totally unrelated to anything he'd ever done._

_He knew that Tobi, Deidara and even Kakuzu loved to point this out often, relishing at the idea that they could embarass him to the point where he looked as though he'd eaten the most hot pepper in his whole life._

_Shinko noticed this, she didn't bother reading his mind, it was too early to start bickering, instead, she murmured "Something wrong, Hidan?"_

_He glanced at her, sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and answered "Nah, nothing's wrong...did I say anything?"_

_Her confused expression annoyed him a little and he took a deep breath, reminding him to stay calm and he asked again "Did I say any shit in my sleep? Y'know? Like I usually do?"_

_She smiled, shaking her head side-to-side and answered "Nope, only your snoring, it seems that you didn't say anything this time, I wonder why that was...?"_

_Hidan didn't wonder, he knew why that was and he knew he didn't like the answer, for it meant that he might have to sleep next to Shinko every night from now on if that was the only thing to stop his commentating during his sleep._

_"It's still early." Shinko muttered, seeing his discomfort, she quickly changed topic, glancing over at the wall where the clock was, as if to prove a valuable point._

_He also looked at the clock and frowned to himself, before he sighed loudly and moved along the sofa, gaining a curious glance from the girl, he murmured "I'm fucking sleepy and I can't be arsed to get up go to bed now, what about you?"_

_She thought about her answer and quickly came to a conclusion, she shrugged one shoulder a little and answered "I suppose I am still a little tired-" she was cut off as his arms latched onto hers, her grip on his right arm breaking, Hidan laid down onto the sofa, pulling the now silent Dhampir over him, he leaned his head back into the cushion, sighing in contentment, he stated "Then there's no fucking point in getting up."_

_He didn't know how uncomfortable she felt at that moment, it was the first time since she'd laid upon a man's body and enjoyed it, still, it was harmless-right?_

_Just taking a nap with a male friend-right?_

_She snorted mentally 'Believe that, then you'll believe anything', instead she rested her head upon his chest, hearing his heartbeat slow, she closed her eyes, exhaling softly, deciding just to relax, he knew not to try anything, if he did, then he'd feel her wrath...and that wouldn't be pretty._

_Soon after they'd fallen asleep once more, wanting to have a lie-in as long as possible._

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko sighed to herself, if anything she was bonding again with Hidan and Kakuzu very well, theyd become close like they used to be, talking and just spending time in each others' company, no matter how annoying it was to listen to Kakuzu count his earnings and Hidan praying to his God every single day.

It was only at that moment she realized how much she'd missed them, their company and being able to open up to them, she'd shut herself away and for good reason, since-

A branch snapped upon the ground, about fifty metres away from herself, her head swished round and with her extremely keen eyes she looked into the distance through the trees, she saw them coming, with her hand on the branch to her side-holding her upright, she felt their vibrations through the tree she was resting in, even from the distance they were from herself, she could hear their breathing coming in gasps for air, their blood rushing through their veins from the adrenaline of a possible fight.

There weren't no 'possible' about it, she had to defeat them so that she could return back to the base and have a lovely hot shower to clean away the dirt that was in her hair, under her nails and clinging to her clothes and boots.

Her eyes changed to the familiar bright blue signifying her power was increased, readying herself for the onslaught, she turned herself invisible, waiting for them to come within her vision, before she would push herself off the branch and meet them with her abilities that were passed down to her from her grandfather and her father.

She almost gulped to herself, feeling barely nervous, though, she was uneasy, she could hear their feet, pounding against the thick tree branches, there were six of them, this wasn't going to be pretty.

With a type of grimace she didn't want to recognise, she knew now; they were finally here.

**/*\*/*\**

"_Grandpa…?" _

_At the sound of this, the older man half-turned away from the gold-pained window and looked down at the young girl that had long white hair and bright blue eyes that shone in the darkness._

_To say she looked adorable would be an understatement, she was the very definition of the word; 'cute'._

_His eyes that were identical to hers also shone through the darkness, his white hair sort of sagged over his forehead and eyes, he hadn't groomed it until earlier that evening and already it was a mess, but nothing ever stopped him from gazing up at the full-moon as he did every night._

"_What is it, Shinko?"_

_The little girl hugged her worn teddy bear closer to her, as if she was suddenly nervous, she took a few shy steps towards Tadashii and stopped a little away, staring down at her small toes that were pointing out from underneath her long cream nightgown._

"_Can you read me a story? Please-I promise to go to sleep right after!"_

_The older Vampire lifted his arm up in her direction, Shinko winced immediately, thinking that perhaps he might strike her since she hadn't done as she was told and had gotten up from bed, she closed her eyes tightly and ducked her head into the fur of her mangled bear._

_A couple of minutes passed, instead of feeling pain she felt a gentle pat upon her head, the reaction was something she hadn't expected and quickly now, she looked up with wide eyes at her grandfather._

"_Which story did you want me to read?" He asked wearing a warm smile that made her smile automatically in return and in her excitement, she grabbed his other hand at his side and pulled him along with her, back to her room to choose a book for him to read to her, all the while, his deep chuckle met her ears and she felt safe instantly._

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko remained hidden in the trees above, watching about herself and listening to the 'Youchi' clan members moving through the trees in remarkable speed, their feet seeming to barely touch the thick branches, though they didn't go unheard of by Shinko's keen ears and they weren't merely as fast as she was.

She prepared herself for the onslaught of the Demon Hunters, knowing there was no way back this time, once targeted they never gave up, this was proven by the many years her clan had to suffer in remaining discreet about their movements, she ground her teeth at the memories.

One by one they moved through the trees, swift and silent, though not too silent for any Vampire, Werewolf or Demon, despite being something close to a super-human, their presence could never go unnoticed.

The first one to come into view of an open clearing was a woman, one of only five females in the whole of the 'Youchi' clan that'd sold their lives to Demon Hunting, she had long, fuschia-coloured hair, tied up into a high ponytail with a thin, yellow ribbon and like all the members of the clan, her eyes were some shade of green, she had deep emerald eyes.

She was rather small in height, though wore a black leather costume that stopped at mid-thigh and just above the elbow, it clung to her body and showed off her rather big bust and the heavy-looking sword attached to her side didn't go unnoticed either, she looked about...perhaps early twenties, though, it was hard to tell with the Demon Hunters, since all their woman used their bodies to manipulate their enemies, drawing them in with their promise of paradise and then before their opponent could even touch them, their opponent would be dead.

The small woman was followed by four others, another one of them being female and the last three being men.

They all were much older than the helpless Niiro Youchi, whom was probably no older than seventeen.

The other taller and more slender woman that followed right behind the smaller and curvy woman, had short, layered, flame-coloured hair, bright green eyes to match and an eye-catching outfit ranging from metal guards on her lower-arms, chest and her boots-obviously for protection, she also wore white and pale orange airy material that hung loosely about her figure, underneath she also wore black leather that came to mid-thigh and stopped on her upper-arm.

She too had a rather huge bust and she had a large bow crossed over her chest and hung upon her back-along with a bag of arrows upon her back.

The men however were dressed more discreetly, one of them, the tallest of the three men, was clad in black all over, he wore a black mask around half his face, his spikey auburn hair hung over on one side, he had very deep green eyes that were barely notcieable, he wore a black leather outfit the same as the women, underneath black trousers that hung a little loose, a black open top that was tied in the middle with a black sash and his feet were also covered in black boots and upon his back was a large, five-spiked boomerang, it was a lethal weapon to use and was something Shinko would have to keep an eye out for.

The man that stood next to the one clad in black, had long spikey aurburn hair that hung over a red bandana, he had light green eyes, he too wore the black leather underneath loose black trousers, red boots, a red scarf that was wound round his neck and a sort of shield-like top, either way it was black and had gold engraving swirls on it and he also had a large sword, this one upon his back.

And the last man, with sort of short spikey ginger-red hair and mid-moss coloured eyes, he too wore the black leather underneath a zip-up leather jacket, black trousers, deep green boots, deep green fingerless gloves and he also had a deep green dragon tattoo that started on the left-side of his neck, went round the back and finished on the right-side of his neck, he had a long katana strapped to his side.

They stopped immediately when the smaller auburn-haired man with the sword outstretched his arm, they al immediately tensed and straightened their postures.

"What is it, Mogoi?" The man clad in all-black turned his head to look at what Shinko presumed was the leader of their small group for this hunt.

Mogoi was in deep-thought or appeared to be, his eyes lowered, closing briefly, he inhaled a deep whiff of air through his nose and Shinko knew instantly that she was at a disadvantage, even more so when the wind blew from behind her and towards them, thus, her scent was floating upon the wind.

Mogoi's eyes snapped open, seeming to have caught onto the scent, he looked towards the small woman, giving her a brief nod, she blinked and nodding in return, she crouched her form then pushed herself off into the sky, gliding down upon the wind, she drew her sword high above her head, Shinko saw the girl coming towards her, but her eyes had narrowed upon the woman's sword, since it'd started to glow an ominous white.

Shinko quickly pushed herself from the branch she was currently resting in and jumped across to another, only to see moments later a bright flash of light and the very tree she had crouched in was blown away and pieces of wood fell to the ground with a dull _thump_ within a matter of seconds.

Though, Shinko knew she couldn't feel safe at this moment, even more so when the small woman had seemed to have disappeared.

'That's strange, she was there a moment ago...' Shinko thought to herself solemnly.

Light reflected off what could be metal, it was then that Shinko's eyes darted towards the sky, and there she was, gliding down towards her upon the wind, having already to have caught onto where Shinko had retreated too, the woman's sword high above her head once more, the blade shining that eerie white glow that made Shinko curious enough to put her own saftey at risk.

"You can't hide from us-Demon!" The woman snarled.

Shinko bared her fangs, despite her enemies not being able to see her.

Everything seemed to go in slow-motion from there, she realised at that moment that her very _existence_ was on the line, she couldn't afford to mess around, with her teeth bared, hissing sounds emitting lows within her throat, she thrust her left hand outwards, her muscles began tingling and slowly, her lower-arm began changing shape into what looked to be like some sort of onyx-coloured metal, only this time, her fingers were replaced with sharp claws, quickly now, she jumped forward into the air to meet the onslaught of the older womans' blade.

Metal claws met shining blade and immediately a flash of such a bright light exteneded around their bodies, making them invisible, the light was so blinding that the other 'Youchi' clan members watching on had to cover their eyes with their hands.

Everything stopped at that moment, the other 'Youchi' clan members were stood in the trees five metres away, staring at the scene in 'awe', with their arms raised to protect their eyes.

"Hiebei!" The man clad in all-black called out, he seemed rather anxious for the woman's safety.

It was only when the light dispersed, that they lowered their arms to their sides, blinking a few times in order to regain their normal sight, only to see that Hiebei had disappeared from their sights completely.

A small moan was heard and soon their gazes fell down to the forest floor below, their eyes widening as they saw their team member huddled on the ground in pain, deep cuts were pouring heavily with blood, she looked barely recognisable because of how injured she was, though it could be clearly seen that she was unconscious.

"Oh God, Hiebei!" The man dressed in all black moved forward to proceed down to the smaller and most likely younger woman, his expression was clear with worry, when the other woman gripped his right arm hard preventing him from going to Hiebei and held him back.

"No, Henshin, you can't do anything for her now, wait until we get this Dhampir out in the open-then you can see to your younger sister."

Henshin stared at the other woman with eyes full of emotion for a few moments, though, the other woman merely stared at him with calm eyes, it was obvious by just glancing at them that they were lovers, such affectionate expressions didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

The man clad in all black stepped back, taking in deep breaths, trying to calm himself, his lover stepped forward tossing her flame-red hair out of her eyes, she wore a serious expression and called out to Shinko "Might as well come out now, I can smell you and I know where you are, you're in that tree."

The woman pointed directly in front of herself, to the tree about seven metres from where they were all stood, minus Hiebei and a small silence ensued, the wind blew through the trees, making Shinko's scent more obvious to her where-abouts.

Sighing out loud, Shinko decided to show herself, she'd have to face them sooner or later and she'd prefer it sooner.

She made herself become visible again, straightening up, she walked out from behind a cluster of branches and leaves and into their view, when she did so, she could see their eyes widen slightly, even a small gasp hadn't gone unnoticed from Henshin.

Shinko however held a very tight expression upon her features, obviously seeing this in no way as 'fun', she merely stared at them with those eyes of hers.

"So, you finally came out of hiding, Shinko Hoshi, I must say, your beauty belies what a monster and a freak you really are!" The red-haired woman sneered at the Dhampir, allowing her eyes to cast over Shinko's form, they seemed to gleam when she saw that Shinko appeared to be bleeding from an unseen wound, blood was slowing dripping down across her left-side, over her black skirt and down her leg.

"How rude. You know my name, however, I don't know yours…enlighten me." Shinko murmured, made a mock bow to them, her lips curling into a smirk, before straightening, she closed her eyes slowly, her tongue flickered out from her mouth and began licking the small dabs of blood from around her lips that had so far gone unnoticed by the Demon Hunters.

'That's Hiebei's blood!' Henshin nearly choked on his anger, suddenly feeling sick that it was his younger sister's blood that the half-Vamp was licking away from her pale skin, he really did have the terrible urge to kill the Dhampir now.

"I don't see why I should give my name to such a revolting monster like yourself! You are nothing more than scum that should've been wiped out with some of your clan members years ago!" The red-haired woman hissed, her eyes suddenly bright with anger that almost flashed green sparks at the Dhampir.

'Good, they don't know my age, that means I have some hope of tricking them and it seems that woman is very hot-headed...rather like Hidan, expect she's more spiteful with her words...I wonder what her blood would taste like?' Shinko wondered off into her own thoughts for a few moments, though her eyes narrowed slightly at the scorn she'd received.

"W-what happened? How did Hiebei get so badly injured? And how is it possible for the Vampire-bitch to still be standing there?!" Henshin cried in confusion, once again staring down at his younger sister with a tortured expression.

"Well..." Shinko began to explain how she survived...

**/*\*/*\**

_It was at the moment that metal claws met shining blade, that Shinko smirked loudly to herself, now raising her other hand, that one too, melded into metal-like claws within a mere second._

_Shinko's left hand had a firm-grip on Hiebei's shining white blade that now produced the light, in this moment, Shinko raised her right fist towards Hiebei and sent a lightning-type jutsu at the smaller woman._

_"Chidori Senbon!" Shinko hissed, almost loving the panic and shock written upon Hiebei's face and before anything was registered, Hiebei's body was covered in many deep cuts and her blood had splattered upon Shinko's face, before Hiebei fell down to the forest floor below; unconscious._

_Meanwhile, the power of Hiebei's sword technique blasted Shinko away from the smaller woman and she soon found herself flying backwards through the air, had it not been for her momentary blindness, she wouldn't have smacked into a tree and had a sharp piece of wood cut right through her left-side from behind._

_This was where the wound had come from and if anything, it had certainly surprised and had done it's job of weakening Shinko._

_For wood with a Vampire-even a half-Vamp, did never bode well..._

**/*\*/*\**

The others stared in surprise, amazed that the Dhampir had reacted in mere seconds, it was even enough to save her from Hiebei's sword technique, though, judging by the blood trickling down Shinko's side, it was obvious that it held high consequences for the Dhampir as well.

"Yes…it is very warm and very tasty…" Shinko muttered sensually as she deliberately licked the last remnants of Hiebei's blood from around her mouth, she opened her eyes when she heard the thrust of Henshin's arm and the sound of air brushing against metal.

A cold stare surfaced on Shinko's face, glaring at them, though mainly focusing her gaze on Henshin, before she flipped herself away from the weapons path and into a tree further away, the five-bladed boomerang returned to Henshin at once.

Shinko jumped high into the air, twisting her body round to land further away from the Demon Hunters' sights as she was met with a barrage of kunai thrown at her by Mogoi, she managed to twist herself around them, but couldn't get away from one scratch that along her upper right arm, before she fell back into the trees; retreating.

"Dammit-Henshin! We could've taken her!" The flame-haired woman hissed coolly, Henshin stepped back as his lover thrusted her fist outwards and punching the tree to her right where Henshin was originally stood, leaving a rather large indent in it-for a Humans' power.

Whether she'd actually aimed to hit him, would remain a mistery, however, Henshin rested a hand over his lover's, closing it around hers, their fingers wove inbetween each others and for a few moments they stared at each other, such a look of love passed between them, that Hiebei was almost forgotten, until Mogoi mentioned her.

"We'd better collect Hiebei and place her somewhere she will be safe until we have finished this here." Mogoi muttered on a sigh, turning away from Henshin and his lover as they went to retreive the smaller woman, Mogoi and his very silent comrade both glanced out to where Shinko had disappeared.

**To be continued...**

**A/N: *Girly-Gasp!* Oh no! Poor Shinko-don't die! . I have to admit, is was pretty hard to introduce the Demon Hunters and NOT get you guys confused, explaining their looks, clothes and weapons was almost impossible and I also threw in some names there, so you all don't get confused! ^^' **

**Review with questions if you're ever confused about something, I will happily explain! ^^**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	12. Sending Reinforcements

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Twelve: Sending Reinforcements**

Shinko raced on through the trees at a high-speed, glancing about herself as she did so, trying to find somewhere to rest for a little while, the wound she'd received had given her such extraordinary pain when she moved, making her movements much slower than usual-she couldn't afford to be weakened when up against the Demon Hunters.

Using wood as an object against Dhampir's cause some considerable amount of pain for them, it just depended on where it struck them, if not in a fatal place, it certainly would slow them down.

She ground her teeth together as she jumped off another tree branch and onto another, the pain wasn't anything too bad, if she didn't treat it soon, she'd continue to weaken and would only become an easy target.

The rain was suddenly pouring from the sky, it soaked her long white hair, rivulets of water trickled down over her skin and clothes, her already cold skin was made even more frozen due to the termperature, this she knew, was a good-thing, the Demon Hunters wouldn't be able to catch onto her scent through all this rain.

She glanced down at her now re-formed hand, gripping onto the wound, putting pressure onto it, in hopes of preventing her blood from falling onto any surfaces that could soak up her blood-thus, leaving traces of her blood where of where she'd been.

Something caught her eye as she jumped through the trees as she landed upon a firm branch of a tree, pausing she looked to her right, it was almost as if the God's were listening to her today, for there it was!

An entrance to a cave in the side of a mountain, the perfect shelter from the weather and to rest up, she'd already travelled a mile away from the 'Youchi' clan members so she had nothing to worry about for a couple of hours, since Hiebei was injured quite badly.

She soon began jumping and running towards the cave eagerly, stopping outside of it, she peered inside the cave, her bright eyes that enabled her to see through the dark gave her a clear layout of the cave, it was mediocre-sized and appeared to be deserted, she soon found herself barely caring as she stumbled into the cave, her right hand gripping the wound on her left-side, whilst her left hand grazed along the wall, trying to keep herself standing and moving.

She walked a little farther into the cave, before she gave a little cry of pain and then slumped to the ground into a heap, her eyes drifting shut, feeling herself falling into a state of unconsciousness, barely caring if her hunters found her or not, Hidan's face popped up into her head, then Kakuzu's and lastly her grandfather's, her last thought; 'I never asked for any of this...'

**/*\*/*\**

From within a dimly lit office, Pein glanced up from his paperwork at the shadowy figure across the room, the outline and shape of the body definitely male, the only thing that could be discerned about this unknown figure was his short spikey hair and one single red eyes shone through the darkness.

"Is something wrong?" Pein asked with guarded eyes, lowering the paper he held in his hand to his desk slowly.

No one ever disturbed him, even Madara himself, unless it was something very important.

A sound similar to a snort was heard within the room, though, which male had made the noise was a mystery, however, Madara's eye narrowed a little, as he answered "I've been watching Shinko, she has found the Demon Hunters, I must say; I was thoroughly disappointed, a woman of her calibre, I though she'd be at least to make it away from one confrontation unscathed, it seems, once again my hopes have been diminished."

Madara made some movement with his hand, as if tossing aside the thought.

Pein raised an eyebrow, now curious as he asked the dreaded question "And what of Shinko?"

A smirk was heard, clearly from Madara as he answered with what looked to be a careless shrug "She has a wound, I saw her fall against a tree and get stabbed through by a sharp branch, I was amazed for a moment, that even though she was momentarily blinded she was still almost to fast for my Sharingan to catch sight of her movements..._almost_..."

Pein continued staring at the silhouette in the far corner of the room, away from the light and the door, in case anyone were to interrupt.

"There were five after her, one has been badly injured, though, four remain, Shinko retreated to find shelter from the horrid turn of the weather and to possibly treat her wound-if she hasn't already died yet inside a cave, directly North-West from here." Madara sighed at the last part, before murmuring "I detest the rain..."

Pein made no remark to this, instead, his eyes lowered to the paperwork in his hand, he saw to his slight surprise that his hand was shaking a lightly, he wondered how he'd not noticed that before?

A smirk was heard from Madara, which soon had Pein looking up from his hands to the shadowy figure, Madara seemed to fold his arms and suggested in mock consideration "I suggest you send Hidan and Kakuzu, they've already done combat against them in the past, they should know what to expect from their enemies, perhaps then, there might be some chance of saving Shinko?"

Pein's eyes narrowed, he knew from the beginning that Madara hadn't been too thrilled of Shinko being apart of the organization-hence the reason why Madara decided it would be himself under the guise of 'Tobi' to replace a member rather than Shinko, her bloodlust wasn't easy to control, especially around a certain loud-mouth.

Instead of speaking these thoughts aloud, he merely nodded his head in agreement, even Madara knew that Shinko was invaluable to the Akatsuki with her eternal life, acute senses, speed and strength, her other unusual abilities were just a bonus.

A knock broke Pein from his thoughts and his eyes connected to the door, before hearing Madara murmur "Better send them soon."

Madara suddenly disappeared from view, his red eye was gone, his chakra source had vanished, he'd left the base completely and Pein wondered whether Madara had gone to continue to survey the battle with Shinko and the 'Youchi' clan.

His mouth fastened into a tight line and then refocusing his hard stare on the door, he cleared his throat and stated 'Enter' to the person stood outside.

Konan was swiftly in the room, in her hands she held a small tray with what looked to be tea and biscuits-his favourite snack, she closed the door behind herself, all the while staying completely silent as she carried the tray of goodies over to him, setting it down upon a small space on his desk, she place his tea near him.

"Konan..."

Hearing her name, she silently looked up, raising an eyebrow.

"_He_'s been here again...Shinko has been injured, please go and tell Hidan and Kakuzu I need them here immediately, they're going on a mission to help her and bring her back." Pein ordered, seeing the slight surprise on Konan's face, she nodded her head and quickly speed-walked out of the office and into the darkened corridors outside.

Pein heaved a sigh, feeling suddenly tired, he leaned back in his chair and relaxed, whilst picking up a biscuit he began munching, thinking; 'Hold out for a little longer, Shinko, help is coming.'

**/*\*/*\**

Konan raced through the dark corridors, needing to go on the otherside of the base to get to Hidan and Kakuzu.

She had to admit that she was rather shocked when she'd heard Shinko had been hurt, the girl had sounded so sure of herself after she was assigned her mission, though, she never did doubt that Shinko would come out with at least a few cuts.

She hoped the girl's slight arrogance hadn't gotten her into too much trouble.

'Whatever it is, don't die, I don't want to be the only woman here again!' Konan ground her teeth together at the mere idea of her being alone with the men again, it didn't help that most of them couldn't cook and so she had to do all their cooking, well, at least they did their own washing, so she didn't have to worry about that!

When she looked up once more, she found she'd finally come to Hidan and Kakuzu's door.

She hesitated for a moment, she weren't afraid of them, only of their reaction to the slightly bad news, she knocked loudly.

A few bangs were heard from within the room, a few curses and then the door was yanked wide open, Hidan stood there, no shirt on-as usual, his eyes slightly red, his hair messy and his breath stank of alcohol.

Konan raised a hand to cover her nose and mouth from the stench, unable to see past Hidan and search for Kakuzu because he was stood in the way, she snapped "You and Kakuzu are to report to Leader-_immediately_, you're both going on a mission. Oh...and please get cleaned up."

She half-turned from him and was about to walk away, until Hidan asked tentatively "Is it about Shinko? Has something fucking happened to her? I need to know Konan-tell me now, or whatever Lord you pray too, so help you, there won't be a fucking base left!"

Konan paused slightly, unsure of whether to tell him that the girl was injured or not, instead she answered calmly "I don't know anymore than you, only that she's been injured..."

The look of shock on his face _almost_ made Konan regret her words, this time, she did turn away and whilst walking back to Pein's office, she called back to him "Just hurry up."

And left him standing there, staring after her in total devestation.

**/*\*/*\**

"_Who are my parents, Grandpa?" The young girl asked the older, taller, stronger and definitely handsome Vampire._

_He raised his proud head to look out the window at the half-moon in the dark night sky like he did every night, it became silent, he didn't utter a word for many long minutes and appeared to be in deep-thought, this made the girl patient._

"_Your parents…Shinko, I hate to ask this, but, do you realise your power and what you are?" He looked down at the girl whom was stood next to him at the huge gold-pained window, wearing a deep violet dress, black shoes, her long hair held in black silk ribbon, she was indeed very cute and could wear almost any colour without having to worry about it clashing with her skin and hair._

_Shinko shook her head gently, glancing up at her grandfather, she squeezed her worn teddy close to her chest-something she always did when nervous or uncertain, then muttered "I can walk in the sun…right?"_

_He nodded slowly, then stated on a small sigh "Shinko, you are not a Vampire, you are a half-breed, you are a Dhampir, something very rare, a hybrid."_

_Shinko's bright, glowing eyes widened slowly, a little scared "I'm not a vampire? I'm not like you?"_

_Tadashii Hoshi shook his head, his white hair bounced about his face as he did this._

"_You are something more…powerful." He answered calmly, his bright blue eyes staring at her in their own brilliance._

_And it was then, that she knew that her father seemed disappointed in her parents, was it because she wasn't a pure-bred Vampire?_

**/*\*/*\**

"Tadashii…" Shinko murmured to herself through the pain, her eyes fluttered open, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the cave, she finally remembered that she was in a cave and that she was being persued by the 'Youchi' clan.

It was in her own weak state that she realised that she couldn't-_wouldn't_ die, not yet.

She should've realised that from the beginning, she still had barely a handful of people to live for and she didn't want to die this way-it would be so humiliating, she really was weak.

How _long_ had she been unconscious?

She flexed her fingers along the rubble of the floor of the damp cave, slowly now, she pushed herself up and sat against the wall of the cave, leaning on it for support, she willed herself to stay awake, her eyes turned back to the bright blue once more and she felt her energy slowly flow back through her veins, it was a start, though, she'd need to be more careful from now on if she wanted to return to her Senpai's with her limbs still intact.

Taking in a deep breath, she pushed herself off the floor and stumbled to her feet, still leaning against the wall, she was still standing-this was a good-thing.

She glanced off to her side, her eyes were glowing brightly, she could see that the cave continued onwards throughout the mountain-side, that meant that there could possible be an exit to it without having the 'Youchi' clan there to 'greet' her, if not, then she'd just make an exit herself, despite the fact that it'd grab their attention.

Curious now, she pushed herself away from the wall and wondered off slowly down the tunnel, not even bothering to cast a single glance back towards the entrance.

**/*\*/*\**

"...so that is the situation." Pein murmured to them from behind his desk, his eyes calmly searching their faces for any hint of emotion, he wanted to see their reaction.

It was as he'd expected, Kakuzu's eyes narrowed at the floor, whilst Hidan began grounding his teeth together, muttering curses under his breath, they both looked rather agitated and anxious by this news, he couldn't blame them, it did catch him off-guard.

"You must go after her, you'll locate her North-West directly from this base, I believe she's about two miles away and has currently retreated to a cave for now, I can feel that she's still alive, so there is still some time left, you're both the only two here with experience of these...Demon Hunters." Pein let out a heavy sigh, making it seem much more dramatic than it already was, though, the fact that he didn't know of the 'Youchi' clans' abilities had him on edge and rather frustrated, since he could only rely on Hidan and Kakuzu to get the job done and he knew that given the chance that Kakuzu would relish in the oppurtunity to go hunting for bounty's afterwards and since Hidan was in no way a man to get straight-to-the-point, he'd just slow his partner down with his rants and would easily have their location found by normal humans that could kill a pure-bred Vampire without much effort involved.

They obviously had skills and used their wit to tip the scales of the battle in their favour when against any enemy.

"How many are there?" Kakuzu managed to ground out, his voice sounding deeper than usual, Pein blinked once and answered immediately "There were five, now it is down to four, I trust that you should have no problem facing them, since you fought with more of them four years ago."

Kakuzu merely nodded once in agreement, quickly bowing, then turning, he elbowed Hidan in the side and snapped impatiently "Let's go."

Hidan would've snapped something back in his sour tone of voice, but, instead, agreed with his partner for once and they both left the dark office, closing the door behind them.

Pein leaned back in his chair and glanced to Konan whom was still stood there silently throughout the rather brief meeting, he muttered "You are worried for her safety..."

Konan didn't answer, she didn't even nod, however her eyes darted to his and feeling as though they could read her like an open book, she dropped her gaze to the floor.

He confirmed his answer out in his head and nodded a couple of time, before he picked up a biscuit and began munching away quietly, his hand tracing the document he was reading when Madara had interrupted him, he then stated "Do not fret, she will return soon, until then, you could make yourself useful and help me file these documents, if you will?"

Konan looked up at him and then her gaze slipped to the piles of papers he had in neat piles around his desk and upon it too.

'It might take my mind off things...' thinking this, she nodded in agreement and swiftly set herself to work.

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko continued down the dark and quiet tunnel, she didn't trip once since her ability to see in the dark and by the help of supporting her weight on the cave wall to keep herself upright with out slumping to the floor once more to rest.

In quiet determination, she constantly told herself that she had business to finish with the 'Youchi' clan and she couldn't go back until it was completed, she wouldn't, she would get the job done and not be such a failure, she'd been trained by quite a few experts and she knew she must rely upon her own instincts to survive, she couldn't rely on everyone forever.

She remembered being back at the base a couple of days ago, everything seemed so relaxed then, she wished more than anything that she could go back to Hidan and Kakuzu and just chill out as they had been ever since returning from their previous mission.

Still the words of her grandfather remained clear in her mind 'Nothing can last forever'.

Nothing could, everything eventually dies and withers away to nothing, time passes, humans get old, perhaps one day, Hidan might get old-just as he should, but he wouldn't die, knowing his religion he'd probably remain the same age and looking the same as he does now, where as Kakuzu might not look like he was in his early nineties, but he certainly _acted_ like an old man, often being grouchy and never having a humorous moment.

Once all this was over she knew she'd go back and visit her grandfather, she missed him terribly, she couldn't remember exactly the last time she'd seen him, but she knew that she wanted to introduce her granfather to Hidan and Kakuzu once more, she wanted to introduce her friends properly to him.

However, she couldn't help the niggling doubt in the back of her mind and had a strange feeling that he may need her help, though she weren't entirely sure why he would need her help, maybe she was overreacting, either way, she would ask Leader if she could go and search for him, at least just to see him for one last time.

She somehow doubted that Pein would be so lenient a second-time round, she had a feeling that he would be angered enough with the thought that she'd gotten herself injured, but to also ask for leave, for not just herself, but for Hidan and Kakuzu as well for about two months was a bit on the extreme-side.

'It would probably be best if I went their alone, at least then I'd be content knowing that my friends are safe.' Shinko agreed reasonably.

Shinko glanced over her shoulder, sighing to herself when she couldn't see the light of the entrance no more down the tunnel and forced herself to keep moving onwards, in hopes of finding an exit.

No matter how much it hurt her to move, she would not give in and die, not without fighting and certainly not by those stupid Demon Hunters!

She needed to get out of the tunnel, she didn't know how long she'd been unconscious, her enemies must've already dealt with Hiebei and it wouldn't be long before she was found...

And she hoped it wouldn't be soon.

**/*\*/*\**

Outside the very cave that Shinko was walking through, the five 'Youchi' clan members stood in well-covered trees, watching the entrance intently, their eyes hardly blinking-all it would take was for them to blink and the half-Vamp would disappear out of that cave before they could even register that their hair was hardly suitable against the green leaves in the trees.

"I bet there's a tunnel in there…" Henshin's lover spoke up, letting out a small huff of air, annoyed with all the waiting they had to do just for one Dhampir.

"Well, would you like to go and see then, Shuiro? Or perhaps you have a better suggestion to getting yourself killed" The leader of the group snapped at the red-headed female, her eyes turned to that of surprise then swiftly to anger, before she snapped "I just hate all this waiting, it's obvious she's injured, the quicker we get her, the less likely she'll be strong enough to defend herself."

Mogoi's eyes narrowed dangerously, not liking Shuiro being so hot-headed and independent, since she always argued _against_ his ideas, plans and commands, he was leader of this squad-not _her_.

"That may be the case, but she was still able to run for a mile and had the common sense to seek shelter when she was wounded, she may be weakened, but she could still easily rip our limbs off-don't forget your training." Mogoi warned with a firm tone of voice, stating his authority out loud.

"Mogoi, calm yourself, we'll get her whether she comes out of that entrance or not."

The only one whom hadn't spoken throughout the fight and best part of the journey was the ever-silent spikey-auburn-haired male, he seemed to be second-in-command, it was clear from how he'd been acting throughout the hunt, that he was a quiet man by nature-with few words to say, he was more of a thinker than a talker, he rested a gentle hand on that of his cousin's shoulder, trying to tell him through body language to calm down.

"You're right, Ao, I will try and remain calm, nothing good comes out of anything when someone isn't thinking straight." Mogoi sent a wamr look to his silent cousin whom smiled lightly in return.

Shuiro and Henshin glanced between themselves, hardly believing that their cousin was being so...open and nice to a guy like Ao, someone whom never spoke and when he did, it was always something smart, he was always analyzing any situation and would often point things out, whether anyone asked him too or not, where as, Mogoi was a decent man, he was often calm, though sometimes his authority-complex (as Shuiro calls it in private) is something that no one of the clan could deal with, Mogoi was something of a perfectionist, he liked to make sure he done things right and got any job-even small ones done properly, though, he never belittled anyone and was always open to ideas, he was also quite a gentleman, but, he hadn't been with a woman since a rumor had spread through the clan members that he had a gay-lover.

It was clear now, that by looking at between Mogoi and Ao that they were in love with each other, it would've made most people's stomachs turn, but for Shuiro and Henshin, they could hardly expect less from someone as quiet and thoughtful as Ao and someone as dominant and 'perfect' as Mogoi.

Shuiro glanced again at her lover and shrugged, before returning her gaze to the cave, her thoughts running away with her.

**/*\*/*\**

_She'd met Henshin about three years ago when she'd gone out for a midnight swim in the river in her clan's compound, it'd been a very hot day, training had been a definite no and all she had to do all-day was help her mother clean the house and wash the clothes._

_She'd made sure no one followed her and knew that everyon was asleep-or so she thought._

_She'd stripped herself of all her clothes and sunk into the clear-water of the river, enjoying the feel of the cool liquid against her flushed skin._

_It was only when she'd heard a rustle in a bush opposite her, that she peered an eye open and saw a silhouette of a man stood on the bank opposite her in the dark, her arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her chest, her knees coming up to her chest, feeling a blush of embarrassment colour her cheeks, she hissed "Who are you? What do you want? Were you spying on me?"_

_The man himself had been rendered speechless at the sight of her earthly beauty, his own cheeks had heated up from his own embarrassment, he'd been in such an awkward situation and weren't too sure of how he was going to get out of it._

_Instead, he'd raised his hands palms facing up at her and replied wearing a sheepish grin "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here, I honestly wasn't spying on you, I was just cutting through actually to get back home, I've just come back from a mission for four months-" she'd immediately cut him off, raising a curious eyebrow now, her body relaxing slightly and she asked "A mission? Are you perhaps a 'Youchi' clan member too?"_

_His eyes widened and a smile broke out on his face as he exclaimed "Oh yes! Yes, I am, I am Henshin Youchi, pleased to meet you...er...?"_

_"Shuiro Youchi, I am also apart of the clan." A smile of her own curling across her red lips._

**/*\*/*\**

Ever since then, Henshin and Shuiro became very close and after seven months of knowing each other, soon became lovers, they were known amongst their clan that they were lovers and that no one's passion matched theirs.

Shuiro honestly didn't know how Henshin had been compatible with her, since he was always defensive, anxious and often worried about those close to him unnecessarily, it didn't annoy her, but made her realise that he just cared about others' safety, especially hers and Hiebei's.

It was then that Shuiro sighed impatiently, hating all the waiting she had to do.

"We wouldn't even be in this situation if that stupid Niiro hadn't gotten himself into such a fucking mess!" Shuiro hissed, anger welling up inside her once more.

"Silence! You forget he is apart of our clan, his father was very important to our family, he's only continuing his father's work, you know he was left with an ultimatim of either joining in our line of work or leave the clan-he tried his best." Mogoi snapped once more at the older woman, this time not even bothering to look at her in the eye, instead, his gaze narrowed on the cave entrance, as if expecting Shinko to dart out at any moment.

"You should just keep comments like that to yourself, Shuiro, Niiro's had it tough ever since his father died, then his mother followed, he's only a kid, try not to be so harsh on him, at least now we get to have some fun, we haven't had a good hunt in months." Henshin, the man dressed in black muttered to his lover.

"Since when did I ask for your advice? Never, that's when, so stay out of my fights." Shuiro tossed her red hair at him, he blinked in surprise at this, but just rolled his eyes all the same, she was such a hot-head, he still found it hard to understand her thoughts at times.

"Shuiro, Henshin is right, I suggest you apologise to him, he's only trying to help." Mogoi stated, before moving along his branch to get a better look at the cave, Ao rested next to him silently.

Shuiro sighed out loud, patting Henshin on his shoulder, she muttered "I'm sorry, hun, I guess you're right."

He smiled to himself and just gave a small nod in recognition.

Mogoi stared off by himself as Ao went to Henshin and Shuiro to tell them a plan that he and Mogoi had formulated whilst Shuiro had been reminiscing of the past, he looked at the dark cave opening and muttered "We'll see who will win…we'll see, but I will have you…one way or another."

**To be continued...**

**A/N: Oh no! Will Hidan and Kakuzu get there in time?! And is Mogoi really gay?! **

**This chappie was rather confusing to type, I didn't want to make it sound boring and again, I didn't want to confuse anyone when I went into a little more depth with the 'Youchi' clan ^^' I hope I didn't! .**

**If you have any questions for me, then review and I shall answer!**

**!Reviews are appreciated! **


	13. Enter: Hidan and Kakuzu!

**A/N: Apologies for the delay of a fortnight for updating this story, I've only recently had time to type again since my college is working me to the bone and my internet is finally working once more! T_T However, thank you for your patience and those of you that reviewed, now onto the story! :D**

* * *

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Thirteen: Enter: Hidan and Kakuzu!**

If Shinko could have anything go right for her at that moment, it was that there was light at the end of the dark and damp tunnel and it weren't because she was dead...yet.

The tunnel that led off into the mountain-side, secluding herself from other creatures and certain Demon-Hunters had another entrance-just as she'd predicted...or well, hoped for.

It looked as though luck was starting to come her way, but she didn't start jumping around for joy just yet, there was still the matter of the 'Youchi' clan left outside, they could very well be waiting for her to emerge any moment, only to strike her down.

She stumbled forward, but, kept a safe distance from her only exit out of the cave.

Focusing on her surroundings, she could hear the wind howling against the cave, hear the heavy downpour of rain against the ground and the leaves of the trees, strangely enough, she could hear them, their heartbeats, outside in the horrid weather, they weren't talking, just waiting, there was three waiting for her outside the exit.

'Clever, but not clever enough.' Shinko remarked, her eyes scouring from where she was in the dark cave to the outside world, in hopes of catching at least a small glimpse of her enemies.

No doubt they positioned one at the entrance and three at the exit, just in case she decided to turn around, it was obvious that the one at the entrance was their squad-leader, he was probably the most powerful one of the lot.

She was trapped, like a mouse in a hole, whilst the cat lingers around outside, just waiting for her to make her move.

Quietly now, she decided to formulate a plan of her own, so far, she was losing, pretty terribly, she'd only injured one of them into a state of unconsciousness and still had four more to go.

This weren't going to be pretty, but, she'd promised to deal with them herself, she weren't going back on her promise, these nutcases were her responsibility, she must deal with them.

Either way, if she was going to get out of this cave, she'd have to take a risk in doing so.

**/*\*/*\**

Meanwhile, Hidan and Kakuzu were racing against time to find the Dhampir, it weren't easy, it was a mountainous region that was covered by thick forest, there were probably over thirty caves to choose from, to find the particular one she was hiding in wasn't something either of them were looking forward too.

They were so worried that they'd taken off into the trees, normally, they didn't bother with racing through the God forsaken tall monstrosities that would have twigs and bugs flying into their faces more often than could be counted.

It was most unpleasant.

"How much fucking further?" Hidan called to Kakuzu, whom was strangely running faster than himself, though, he managed to just about keep up, he even wondered if Kakuzu had heard him through the wind racing past them at how fast they're travelling.

Surely, it wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes to get there?

Fifteen minutes that they didn't want to waste by running, she could be dead by the time they arrived.

Kakuzu merely grunted in reply, it seemed that he didn't feel obliged to answer him, either that, or he would tire himself out by talking, it appeared that he was too engrossed in his thoughts to pay much attention.

So, Hidan decided he'd do the same, or tried to anyway, it wasn't working because he couldn't stop thinking about those fucktards stabbing a fucking wooden stake through her heart.

He didn't want to see that again, she'd done it to herself once and that was enough for him, cursing over-and-over in his head, he hoped she'd at least wait until they arrived, just to back her up.

**/*\*/*\**

Shuiro, Henshin and Ao all stood outside of the exit to the cave, standing upon a big, thick tree branch, they were stood carelessly out in the open, not even bothering to hide themselves, their confidence was exuding off of them.

The plan had been recently explained to them and all was left to do, was see it through to the last detail, this, they were certain, would work and conclude in Shinko's death.

Shuiro smirked visibly, shifting her weight onto another leg, she called to Shinko from where she was hiding in the darkness of the cave.

"We know you're in there Shinko Hoshi, come out, or we'll _make_ you come out!"

Apart from the wind billowing past them and all that stood in it's way and the rain pouring down from the heavens, there was nothing else to be heard.

Shuiro frowned slightly when she didn't hear a reply or see any movement coming from within the cave, but, quickly recovered and soon snapped at Henshin "Use it."

Henshin looked rather baffled for a moment, wondering what she was implying, Ao stared from the corners of his eyes at the hot-headed woman on the other end of the branch, his cold stare warning her not to push her luck.

"But, Shuiro! Mogoi said to never use it-" Henshin's protest was cut off by the impatient red-head, whom grabbed at his shirt, yanking him across the tree branch to herself, her face mere inches from his, she hissed coldly in reply "I know what he said. Just do it!"

She threw Henshin down onto the branch and gazed almost sickeningly at the dark tunnel opposite herself and her companions, a heavy scowl upon her features, which suddenly made _her_ look like a monster.

Henshin sighed in defeat, unable to go against his lover, he pulled out what appeared to be a bomb from the back of his belt, or some similar device to a bomb, either way, it was small.

Seeing this, Shuiro's hand snatched the small device from Henshin, smirking evilly once more, she pushed a few invisible buttons and suddenly it lit up to a deep red, a small beeping noise came from it and without thinking to ask her comrades their opinions, she quickly launched the small bomb into the cave, a few seconds went by, making it feel as though it were minutes, the stand-still was almost unbearable, but, eventually, the device exploded from within the cave, such power came from the small device that it sent a tremor through the Earth and immediately, the side of the mountain began collapsing, many giant pieces of rock fell down, covering the exit in a huge mound of rubble and boulders that it would be impossible to survive something as monstrous as that.

Seeing this, Henshin sighed in relief that it was over, Ao merely stared at what used to be the exit to the cave with an emotionless mask, but, the first thing to break the silence was Shuiro's screeching laughter, which caused the other two of her comrades to stare at her, she was in hysterics and was laughing so hard that she had to bend down and hug herself tightly.

"She's dead! We did it! We killed her!" Shuiro chanted afterwards, a huge grin breaking out upon her face, she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up straight once more, her excitement barely contained.

It was over, that's all there was to it.

**/*\*/*\**

They'd heard the explosion that came from cave where they were sure Shinko was hiding in, they too, felt the tremor that soared through the Earth, it was so sudden that they had to stop for a moment and glance around through the rain to see which direction the smoke would appear from.

"What the fuck was that?" Hidan broke the silence, not very sure that he wanted to know, since the explosion was something way more powerful than Deidara's clay-bombs could ever give off.

It seemed that the chances of Shinko coming out in one-piece was going to be unlikely, it still didn't stop him from hoping Shinko was safe, or at least alive.

Ignoring Hidan's question, Kakuzu glanced to their right and saw black smoke flowing up into the sky, that was obviously where the bomb had gone off, he then pointed in the direction from where the explosion came from and stated "She'll be that way."

Hidan growled something under his breath-most likely a curse of some sort, whilst he gave a single nod in reply, then they both lept off in the direction where Shinko was most likely hiding.

**/*\*/*\**

Moments later, still basking in their glory, a twig snapped from some distance behind the three Demon Hunters, Shuiro's laughing came to a dead-stop, serious expressions flitted across their faces and silence ensued around them like an invisible cloud.

"There's someone out there…" Henshin muttered the obvious statement to his companions, they merely gave a slight nod of their heads, glaring over their shoulders and into the forest, trying to find whoever it was that might disturb them, however, when they looked in the direction of-unbeknownst to them-where Hidan and Kakuzu were hiding, they couldn't see anything, only leaves, branches and more leaves.

After a few minutes passed, Shuiro merely shrugged, deciding to ignore it, thinking that it might be an animal of some sort and once again sick glee overwhelmed her, as she began chuckling and then throwing her arms up in the air, she cried "Yes! She's dead! I can't believe it, we've been tracking her for over a week now and now she's dead! Bet you're glad I used that device now-huh?"

Her two comrades didn't utter a word, probably sensing that Shuiro had a bad-temper when she got upset, so they left her to her momentary faze of joy.

They turned round completely to face the cave once more, momentarily forgetting about the two men in hiding.

**/*\*/*\**

Kakuzu was gripping tightly onto Hidan's left arm, preventing him from moving another inch, worried that he might make another noise that would alert their enemies and have the Demon-Hunter's after them instead.

Although, that would've perhaps been better for Shinko in case she were still hiding to give her enough time to make a run for it, problem was, they didn't know whether she was alright or not.

"Watch where you're going, Hidan!" Kakuzu growled in annoyance, though, made sure to keep his voice down in case he was overheard.

"I can't help that the tree has lots of fucking branches!" Hidan snarled back defending himself, yanking his arm free, he stood up straight, still hidden by the leaves and branches and managing to _not_ make another sound.

"Well, you obviously didn't think of that when we're waiting out here in the forest and-" Kakuzu was cut short by the fiery-haired woman's laughter that rose in volume and made them both glare daggers in the back of her head, not only did they not get the 'joke', but her laugh was annoying.

"Ugh! Stupid bitch, what the fuck is she laughing about?" Hidan shifted his weight slightly, trying to glance out and get a better look, as if this would help them weigh-up the situation.

"If you'd stop talking, then I'd hear what they're saying-" Kakuzu was once again cut of by the woman as she threw her arms in the air dramatically, catching both their attentions and she began exclaiming non-too-quietly "Yes! She's dead! I can't believe it, we've been tracking her for over a week now and now she's dead! Bet you're glad I used that device now-huh?"

And never before had they felt their bodies freeze over as they did then.

In answer to this, both of their gazes cast over the cave and saw the mountainous stack of rubble and boulders, that for a moment, they believed that there would be no possibility of Shinko ever escaping that explosion, it was just too powerful, the look of all the damage it'd created was just...unbelievable...

And it weren't even a jutsu!

Anger flared through Hidan within a second, though it felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach and clenching his teeth together at the pain that washed through his chest, his heart feeling so heavy at the thought that she was somewhere he couldn't reach her.

Death was something he was used too, being in his line-of-work, he'd slaughtered his fair share of victims, not only did he have to do it for rituals, but, to also survive, it wouldn't be fun if he had his head cut off from his shoulders and he couldn't fight back, that would totally suck shit.

But...Shinko was immortal, well, to a very extreme extent, never the less, she was almost completely immortal, he'd seen her fighting, or well, flashes of it, but, he'd seen the results of her fights, he'd trained with her ever since she'd joined himself and Kakuzu and he knew she weren't the type to take things lying down.

This...it just couldn't be happening!

'No, no, she isn't dead, I won't fucking believe it! She's alive somewhere and I'm gonna help her and mutilate the fuckers that dared to hurt her!' His thoughts spouted curses and anger, his hands clenched at his sides, itching to grab his scythe and run out there and cut them down, but, he knew that wouldn't be a good idea, he wanted to make this last longer, he wanted to get revenge for her, he wouldn't even dare to think that she was dead, not for a second.

She was immortal, strong with fast healing abilities and wouldn't be killed that easily, she was tougher than that.

He'd gain the element of surprise and tear them all apart, he doubted Kakuzu would even need to lift an eyebrow to help him, not now, not when he was very pissed off.

However, Kakuzu remained silent, he too was lost in deep-thought, wondering whether to believe the 'Youchi' woman or not, looking at her and how she'd been so happy about Shinko's death, it was most believable, but...something didn't seem right.

He too knew that Shinko wouldn't die that easily, to believe that she was dead, was almost as if believing that the sun wouldn't rise the next morning.

Still, it could happen and some form of sadness washed through his being, since himself and Hidan had raised Shinko for the past four years and to see that all their efforts in training her and protecting her had been in vain, she might be dead...and they'd only been minutes away to prevent it from happening.

His gaze snapped up to the backs of the three 'Youchi' clan members, like Hidan, he was determined to seek revenge and maybe even relieve-dare he say it; guilt?

Either way, he wasn't going to let this lay low, both himself and Hidan had tackled the likes of their clan before and they'd do it again, for Shinko, whether she was dead or alive, she'd been stuck to their sides ever since Tadashii had given her to them and they'd become so used to her company, to not have that anymore was almost as if a part of them had died inside.

With that set in mind, Kakuzu turned to Hidan, seeing the Jashinist's face screwed-up, he looked to be in deep pain, he knew Hidan had been very close to Shinko, they both had been close to her, this was not something they would forgive-and-forget.

Kakuzu cleared his throat, catching Hidan's sharp gaze, that was shining with-wait, what's up with his eyes?

Was he crying?

No, no, no, Hidan never cried, that was highly unlikely, the masochist _never_ cried...at least, not in front of anyone else he didn't, however, there's always a first-time for everything.

No, Hidan weren't crying, his eyes were actually fired-up in determination, almost making them turn into a shocking shade of red, maybe not like Itachi's Sharingan-red, but, tones of red were underlying his magenta-coloured eyes.

Ignoring this, Kakuzu began murmuring a plan to his partner.

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko let out a long moan of pain, her eyes fluttered open and all she could see were rocks that made it too dark for human eyes to detect, all the rocks were laid upon her, covering her whole body, but, weighed more upon her mid-section and legs.

They weren't impossible to move, she knew that, though they were rather heavy, luckily, they hadn't all crushed down on top of her after the explosion-something which, even in her super-speed, she hadn't been able to out-run.

Carefully now, she moved her body and to her dismay found that she'd lost her left arm, some of her ribs were broken and she'd sprained her right ankle.

She took in a deep breath, calming herself, she began to think rationally, okay, so she had one arm left to smash the weight off of her body, that's if she could lift it high enough, when she did so, she won't be able to run fast enough from her persuers and she definitely wouldn't be able to dodge most if any attacks and hope to win with her broken ribs.

She closed her eyes briefly, feeling pain and sadness washing over her, why doesn't she just lay here instead? Allow herself to wither away and die?

It would be best for everyone, maybe not the Akatsuki, but hey! She could always be replaced, everyone would-in-time forget she'd ever been alive.

She'd just be another nameless person that'd died in some freak 'accident' and that no one would cry over or miss.

From where she was laid on a bed of rocks, she listened for any sound of life outside, though, weren't at all surprised when she heard that horrid woman's laughter.

Of course they'd laugh, they were happy, they thought she was dead and she probably will be if she didn't get out from underneath the rocks anytime soon.

She was even more surprised when she heard that laughter cut short and heard her lover mutter "There's someone out there…"

Who? Who else would be out there in the forest?

There shouldn't be anyone else around here, perhaps it was just an animal, Pein would never send anyone out to help her, simply because this was her own fault, she'd gotten herself into this mess and only she could get herself out of it.

This sparked something off within herself, okay, so she was at a huge disadvantage here, but, so what?

She'd been through a lot worse, what was worse than Demon Hunters?

Werewolves.

The 'Youchi' clan had nothing on the 'Gekkou' clan, so there was nothing to be worried about, she could handle this, she just needed to find her arm and use her healing abilities to re-attach to her arm.

The good-thing with a Vampire or half-Vamp, when they lost a limb or part of their body, all they had to do was find and put it back to where it was before, it'd instantly heal and although they wouldn't be able to jump straight back into battle, it'd be almost like it'd been before it'd been blown, ripped or cut off.

She just needed to find her arm, re-attach it, then she'd drain them of their blood for outdoing her so far, she could no longer hold back anymore, it wouldn't do, she needed to kill them and quick.

First, she just needed to get out from under all the rocks.

**/*\*/*\**

It was just after Shuiro had finished her horrid cackling, that Hidan grabbed his scythe, leaning backwards, he threw the scythe out from where himself and Kakuzu were hiding, aiming it for the woman's head.

Of course, they knew she wouldn't fall for that, well, actually, she would've, if her stupid lover-boy hadn't pushed her to the floor with himself covering her and that quiet guy that'd stood next to them jumped to the side, skiding along the branch, his hand ready at the hilt of his katana.

Meanwhile, the scythe flew past them and into a thicker branch just above their heads, it embedded itself into the branch, from the other end, Hidan tugged onto the metal cord that was connected to the end of his scythe, before pushing himself off the ground, he yanked himself towards his scythe, as he flew through the air, as he did this, he kicked Henshin in the stomach, sending the man clad in all-black to the forest floor below.

Hidan twisted his body round at the last minute and landed feet first on the side of the branch, his head having to crank upwards a little to get a better view of his enemies and what he saw, he didn't like.

"What the fuck do we have here? A bunch of bastards that dare anger a disciple of Jashin." Hidan hissed coldly, glaring first at the woman that was still sat on her arse and staring at him with wide eyes, she looked very shocked, most likely at his speed, since if it weren't for her lover, then she would've been dead.

'Jashin, damn him.' Hidan ground his teeth together once more.

It was at this time that Hidan gripped his scythe by it's handle and yanked it out of the branch, jumping upright on the branch above, so that he was staring _down_ at them, he idly placed his scythe upon his left shoulder, still keeping watch of them.

The woman seemed to have regained her senses and her eyes swiftly narrowed at him, as she snapped "How dare you?! What the hell do _you_ want?"

Hidan snorted and a huge smirk spread across his face, his eyes glistening in madness, as his bloodlust was slipping slowly out of control, his anger at them only fueled his temptation to just screw the plan and kill them there-and-then.

"I think it's fucking fair, don't you-bitch? An eye-for-an-eye, your little lover-boy is going to die along with you, I think it's only fair that he should die first, I'll show him no fucking mercy, just like you never gave any mercy to Shinko!" He snarled at them, though his words were dripping hostility, his amusement in that idea was clear in his eyes.

"You-what-wait! You mean...you're that Dhampir whore's boy-toy? Hmm, so she might have a little taste, but it's still a sickening thought that anyone would shack-up with that monster." Shuiro started laughing again, although, she admitted to herself that she was creeped out by Hidan, she could see by reading his eyes that he'd killed many people before and it weren't because he _had_ too.

That was all it took for Hidan to go ballistic, his face screwed-up at the insults to Shinko, he was about to charge when from the ground below came Henshin, being chased by a very fast Kakuzu, it looked like a very lively chase and for a moment, all the others glanced towards them as they took off into the trees.

Once they'd disappeared, Hidan smirked loudly again and asked growl "Now which one of you fuckers wish to die first?"

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko heard the commotion briefly from where she was and felt such an overwhelming sensation of relief flood throughout her body, Hidan and Kakuzu had come to help her, Pein had sent them to her, he'd actually gone against what he said and had let her friends come for her.

This was more than enough determination to keep her alive.

Gripping her right fist together tightly, they immediately melded into those iron claws and with a loud growl, she slammed her fist against the rocks upon her, they immediately flew off of her and was soon met with the horrid rain pouring down from the Heaven's upon her already battered body, her eyes squinting at the harsh light.

She used her right hand to sit up slowly, the pain from her ribs made her cough and splutter a few times, it was when she was finally sat up that she glanced over her shoulder at where the battle was taking place, she saw Hidan stood upon the branch, his back to her and then Kakuzu appeared from the ground below chasing after Henshin, before they both swiftly disappeared into the trees of the forest, no doubt Henshin being heavily persued by Kakuzu.

Shinko's eyes narrowed at the red-headed woman, vowing to get revenge for doing this to her, for making her-dare she say it; vulnerable?

Shinko ground her teeth together and forced herself to stand up on shaky legs, despite her right ankle being sprained, she was able to keep herself stood up, perhaps maybe not stand straight due to her broken ribs, but, that didn't mean she was going to give up yet.

She moved away from all the rubble and boulders, that lay scattered about her, she didn't have much time before they noticed she was still alive, quickly now, she began searching for her left arm, throwing bits of rock about with her one good arm, her keen eyes kept roaming over every open space, desperately searching.

It didn't take too long and was made even easier after her sprained ankle slowly healed back to normal, her broken ribs were also mending as well, moving about wasn't becoming a task anymore.

Shinko shoved another boulder away from her and found her left arm laying there, in a pool of blood, a few of the fingers were dislocated, knowing this, she knew it would be anything but pleasant when it came to cracking them back into place.

Never the less, Shinko picked up her arm carefully and put it up to the stump of what was left hanging down from her shoulder, normally, an average person would just raise an eyebrow or laugh at thought of someone attempting to put their limbs back to their body without using some form of jutsu.

However, Shinko's ability to heal rapidly, also made it possible to re-attach limbs or parts of her body back to herself without using a jutsu, it was just another one of her advantages of being a half-Vampire, though, she rarely had to use it, after all, she was careful most of the time.

She knew with a small growl that passed through her head, that she was going to train very hard when she got back to the base, she's slipping up, this was unexpected and also highly risky of her to treat her enemies as though they were weaker than her, most of the time, she was going to encounter opponents where they're stronger than her or at the same level.

Her arm slowly mended itself back to it's shoulder, Shinko hissed at the pain that flooded through her left arm, this happened whenever a limb was re-attached to her body, not only would there be dirt mixed in with her blood, but also the open wounds allowed air to circulate around it, this could be easily subjected to infection.

Shinko glanced back over her shoulder Hidan and the others, seeing their postures changing, she knew then that they were going to fight and what was worse was that Hidan would be fighting two of them alone.

She weren't about to let that happen!

**To be continued...**

**A/N: Yay! Shinko's alive! *starts waving pom-poms* go Shinko! Go-go-go! Hehehe, I thought it would ruin Hidan's character if he cried, so I stayed well away from that area. I also like how Kakuzu popped up from nowhere chasing after Henshin, before immediately disappearing afterwards :D lol**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	14. Healing

**A/N: ****Hey! Just wanted to apologise for not updating again for another fortnight or...three weeks, once again my internet has been fucking up and I've been tying up loose ends with college work before I broke-up for Christmas, so I've been terribly busy, however, now that the Christmas hols are here, I'll be updating more often. Merry Christmas everyone! :D**

* * *

**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Fourteen: Healing**

Without wasting anymore time, Shinko bent down low and thrusted herself into the air, towards the red-headed woman, just as Hidan lifted his scythe from his shoulder, readying himself to attack.

Within a second she was falling on the wind and rain towards the woman, seeing Shuiro's eyes dart up at her; gawking at her, this in-turn, had Hidan turning to stare in the same direction and soon his mouth fell open in shock, his eyes wide, no doubt he and Kakuzu had heard the explosion from the cave and both didn't expect her to still be alive, or at the very least walking.

Hidan looked lost for words, whilst Shuiro's anger started to reach onto her features, her expression turned violent as she pulled out her arrows and bow, holding it up at Shinko as the Dhampir fell towards her, everything suddenly seemed to have slowed down.

Shuiro placed three of her wooden arrows on the long, wooden bow, lifting it up towards Shinko, she took aim at her.

It was just as Shinko was a few metres away from the red-headed woman, that Shuiro launched the arrows into the air.

The arrows began to emit a shimmer of green light around them, and they became very fast, almost too fast for Shinko to see, so instead, she relied upon her hearing to sense them.

Shinko twisted her body in the air as two arrows shot past her, whilst the third one embedded itself into the solid, cold flesh of her left shoulder, causing an animalistic sound to erupt from her lips upon impact as she fell back onto the tree branch where Hidan was.

She would've fallen over the edge, had it not been for Hidan's arm suddenly whisking out towards her and grabbing her long, black coat, stopping her from skidding off over the edge and towards the forest flor below.

One moment she was hanging over the edge of the branch, waiting for the impact of the solid Earth from below to smack into her head, the next she was pulled upright and straight into a pair of warm arms that belonged to none other than Hidan.

Her body was slumped against his, held in a tight grip that would've made a human sufocate, her fangs were pointing out from the corners of her pale lips because of the pain from the wooden arrow that was embedded within her pale flesh, however, that weren't what was causing her pain, it was because she hadn't known it had been smothered in Holy water until it'd penetrated her shoulder.

It was enough to make her head rather woozy, she was surprised at how much pain she was feeling, but she was so glad that she had Hidan there to help her stand upright.

However, she was more surprised of Hidan standing there with both of his arms wrapped around her tightly, his head craned so that it was buried into her hair, she felt him shivering lightly and she wondered silently if he was alright.

"Fuck! I can't believe-Shinko, you're-you're alive! I thought you were dead, I thought-fuck, I thought I'd lost you!" His murmurs were silent to their very small crowd of two people watching with looks of surprise and disgust.

But, Shinko heard him and was surprised to hear him sound so...upset, like he'd actually cared that she could've died, of course they got on together, she just didn't think he'd be this affected by her 'death'.

She remained silent as she rested her head against his shoulder, feeling that warm feeling spreading through her like wild-fire and she couldn't help it, she couldn't help feeling so...light-headed, was this because of her injuries? Or was this what it was like to be...in love?

'No! This isn't love, i-it can't be...can it?' Shinko panicked a little, having never felt love for another being-make that a human before made her rather frightened at the prospect that someone had the power to hurt her deeply and she weren't even aware of it happening.

She looked up curiously, wanting to read Hidan's expression, needing to see what emotion he was feeling at that moment.

It was when Hidan pulled back a little to peer down at her with those magenta-eyes of his, still holding onto her tightly-as if he thought she was going to disappear, she could see that he was clearly worried for her and looked very upset, that was when she realised it.

She knew then that she'd fallen in love with the Jashinist, despite warning herself not to get too involved with human's, she'd just gone and done it anyway.

This was bad, she should know better than to fall in love!

And what was even worse was that she didn't know how Hidan felt towards her, for all she knew, he could see her as a younger sister-though, the thought of that seemed rather impossible, for one thing; she didn't think Hidan had a sister and for another; she knew that Hidan had responded towards her more than once, so she had a feeling he _desired_ her, but didn't feel no love towards her.

"Hidan, I-" she cut off her sentence when she heard the distinct sound of metal brushing against air, her eyes widened ever so slightly as she realised what was happening, quickly now, she pushed Hidan and herself to the floor of the branch, she was laid on top of him as her eyes spied the five-bladed boomerang that belonged to Henshin came whizzing past above herself, only to then hear a sharp scream fill the air.

Hidan sat up, his arms still holding onto Shinko, fearing that she'd slip away from him any second, however, he glanced down at her and saw her staring across from them with such a look of longing and hunger, he knew that look all-too-well, she was hungry and wanted to feed, quickly now, he looked up at the red-headed woman and was rather surprised to find the same weapon sticking out of her mid-section, it was obvious that she hadn't been able to dodge the boomerang as easily as they had.

It'd happened so quickly that she mustn't have seen it coming towards her, blood pooled around her feet and was pouring from her mouth like a small fountain.

Hidan knew that he'd thank Shinko later for saving him the pain of having something so...sharp sticking out from his back.

Shuiro definitely weren't going to make it now, it was made even more clear as she fell to her knees, panting in shallow breaths, her eyes held that dead-look to them.

"Oh dear god…what did I just do?!"

Both Hidan and Shinko tore their gazes off of Shuiro and looked over Hidan's shoulder to see Henshin-Shuiro's lover stood there shaking from where he stood, his eyes wide from shock, Shinko _almost _felt sorry for him.

Henshin stood frozen to the spot, trembling violently, he looked devastated, he didn't even flinch when Kakuzu appeared behind him and stared down at him with those angry eyes of his, before grunting and walking past the shocked man and towards his comrades.

Meanwhile, Ao stared at the scene with a rather surprised expression, barely comprehending what'd just happened, though, he knew now that Shuiro was certainly going to die, Henshin was of no use, since he was paralyzed in shock and now he-himself was out-numbered, even with Mogoi's help, it'd be a useless battle.

He ground his teeth together in annoyance, this meant retreating and they were so close to killing Shinko too.

Ao's gaze rested upon Henshin's shivering body, thinking of how he'd get past the Dhampir and her friends, they'd most certainly prevent him from getting there if he were to make any sudden movements.

Shinko hissed low and wrenched the arrow from her shoulder and growled in the back of her throat, dropping it to the ground as she clutched her wound, it stung terribly, like she were being prodded by a hot poker.

"Shinko, are you alright?" She glanced up at Kakuzu as he approached, forcing a smile for his benefit, she gave out a small bitter laugh, answering "Not really, I need you to stitch my left arm, it was blown off in the explosion and I won't be able to use it properly for a while until it heals."

He gave a nod in reply, before his sharp gaze snapped up across from them once more, he stated aloud, most likely speaking to Ao, "There's no point in continuing this fight, unless you wish to throw your life away too?"

There was no reply from the silent 'Youchi' clan member, he merely stood there staring at them with a serious expression and eyes full of hate.

Shuiro quitely fell to the floor, in her own blood, not another word was heard from her; she died.

"Tsk. What a waste and she was a promising fighter too."

Everyone's heads snapped up into the tree branch above them all, naturally, it was Mogoi, the Team Captain to the squad of 'Youchi' clan members, he too, wore a serious expression, though, the aura emanating off of her body held anger.

Mogoi tore his gaze away from Shuiro's lifeless body and towards Shinko and her comrades, his eyes narrowed as he stated dangerously "You have a lot of nerve, Shinko Hoshi, calling in friends of yours, this battle was between you and us, alone."

Shinko attempted to stand-up, but stumbled due to her ribs still unmended, making it painful to move properly without wincing, Hidan quickly stood up and helped her by holding onto her right arm-the good arm.

"What's unfair is you pitching five of your brethren against just myself." Shinko hissed, giving the other male a hard glare, her fangs slowly protruding out from her lips.

Mogoi eyed her arm that slung across her mid-section and he gave the barest of smirks as he murmured "Be that as it may, you are still surprisingly alive, no matter, we will back off, for now, but don't rest easy, we will return. Today was just a warm-up, next time will be much worse, that we can guarantee."

"Yeah? Just you fucking try it-you fucking arsehole!" Hidan shouted up at Mogoi from where he stood, sending him a deathglare of his own that even rivaled Itachi's.

Mogoi snorted, rolling his eyes, he looked to Ao and gave him a small nod, signalling something of the sort.

Ao disappeared and re-appeared by Shuiro's corpse, bending low, he tore the bladed boomerang from her mid-section, tossing it aside, he picked up her lifeless body, he straightened and disappeared once more, only to re-appear by Mogoi's side on the branch.

"Get up Henshin, we'll avenge Shuiro's death, but first, you should focus on your sister, hopefully she's still alive." Mogoi encouraged his comrade enough to have him standing up straight, Henshin lowered his eyes and nodded silently, looking very pale, before he too disappeared and in the blink of an eye he was stood next to Ao and Mogoi, his bloodied boomerang held in his hands, before Mogoi nodded and they took off into the trees, none of them even casting a glance back in their direction.

"That's right! You better fucking run-you arseholes!" Hidan shouted to them (though they probably couldn't hear him), waving his fist in the air.

"Shut up, idiot." Kakuzu snapped, his eyes narrowed at the sudden childish behaviour of his partner, before he turned his attention to Shinko.

"Are you alright to travel?" Kakuzu asked, ignoring Hidan as he too, re-focused his attention on the Dhampir.

Shinko gave a weak smile, her hand still clutching at her shoulder wound, she muttered "Not anymore, I'm not, I've broken most of my ribs and I was too weak enough to realise that those arrows were coated in Holy water, God, I was so stupid..."

Both Hidan and Kakuzu glanced at each other in concern.

She'd never had any worries with Holy water, mainly because it was rare to find and she usually didn't give her opponents time to think before she killed them and she'd certainly never been so weak before, this was definitely something serious and they wouldn't let her stay out in the forest on her own any longer, screw Pein's rules, if she dies then that wouldn't help them at all.

"They'll be coming back, they were just going easy on me…" Shinko hissed, lowering her gaze so that she didn't have to look into their eyes.

Kakuzu bent down to her side, peeling her hand away from her wound, he pulled her coat back a little to inspect it, though, she growled like a beast in agony when he tried to wipe some of the blood away to see it better, this had him stood up on his feet fast.

Not because she would hurt him-especially not in this state, but because, if they don't do anything for her soon, then she'd most certainly die.

"Hidan, We must hurry back, she needs medical attention straight away." Kakuzu growled at Hidan, jerking him out of the Jashinist's dazed state.

Hidan blinked, before Kakuzu thrusted Shinko into his arms and took off into the trees for the base, Hidan raised an eyebrow and stared down at the Dhampir.

Her eyes were barely open and held that rather dazed look to them that signalled either death or something was terribly wrong with her.

Cutting off the urge to argue, he quickly followed after Kakuzu, whom was travelling a little a head of himself.

He couldn't help but glance down at her every now-and-then, hoping she would pull-through without too much hassle.

"You know Hidan, one day I'll eventually die, perhaps Shinko, Leader…maybe even you." Kakuzu called to Hidan as they travelled through the trees at great speed, though he barely heard him through the rain and wind that was pummelling against them.

Hidan's head shot up and stared at Kakuzu's back with surprise, though remained silent, going into deep thoughts that many people who knew him didn't think he was capable of.

He knew that everything ran it's course and everything eventually dies, but...it just weren't possible for him to die, Leader-pfft! He didn't even show any signs of aging!

Not that anyone knew how old he was.

It just weren't possible...was it?

**/*\*/*\**

It was later that evening, Hidan and Kakuzu managed to arrive back before it got too dark, the reason for why they'd taken so long to get to the base, was because of a lightning storm and the heavy downpour of rain that made it impossible to see where they were going.

So, they took residence within a small cave that almost had them squished against each other, Hidan didn't mind so much where Shinko was concerned, but there was no way on earth that he was going to touch Kakuzu willingly, he'd sooner eat horse shit than be cozy with the greedy bastard.

Through out the storm, silence had remained clouded around their beings.

Shinko was unconscious and both men were actually within three metres of the other and didn't once argue, both kept themselves-to-themselves and remained to each others thoughts.

However, silence didn't remain long, for after four hours of patient waiting and thoughtfulness, they soon took off into what was left of a storm; that horrid, clinging drizzle of an excuse for rain.

Conversation was kept to a bare minimum and for good reason.

Both men were in foul moods and were concerned for the Dhampir-though, they wouldn't openly admit such a thing, for it wouldn't look good on their character, or more to-the-point; their ego.

As soon as they'd arrived back inside the warm base, they were greeted with a flustered Konan and a rather stern-looking Pein; did he ever crack a smile?

After quickly examining Shinko, Konan told Hidan to take her into the emergency room immediately.

Apart from Itachi, Konan was one of the only Akatsuki members that actually had some reasonable medical experience, although, none of them knew how to heal anyone, they knew what was wrong with the patient after an examination.

So, when Konan had ordered Hidan to take Shinko into the emergency room, he held his tongue and didn't make any retort, more worried for the girl than he thought he would be and more so, because Konan knew what she was talking about when it came to injuries.

The emergency medical room was located at the other end of the base, having common sense, it would've been thought that Pein would've placed the room nearer the entrance, but, he didn't.

Whether he did this on purpose or not, will always remain a mystery.

After placing Shinko upon the only bed for a patient to lay on, Konan shooed him out of the room, by this time, Pein, Kakuzu and even Kisame were already waiting outside, discussing what'd happened between them.

Hidan swiftly turned round to ask Konan a question, but was met with the door shutting in his face, a vein worked itself in the side of his head, especially, after he heard Kisame's snicker and when he sent a glare at the shark-like man, he caught Kakuzu's amused glance and immediately wasted no time in telling the miser what he thought of him, surprisingly in a short sentence, but, used very colourful words.

The waiting process had taken at least two hours and they were still waiting with bated breaths to hear any news.

At one point, Hidan glanced to Kakuzu from where he stood by the door, looking surprisingly innocent, when he asked "Hey, Kakuzu, why is Konan taking so long? You don't think something's happened...do you?"

To say that the old man was surprised that Hidan hadn't used one swear-word when he spoke was an understatement, instead, he glanced at the door from where he was stood and replied "I'm not sure, she was in a bad way when we found her..."

Hidan's eyes lowered to the floor and he nodded silently, the other three men was surprised at how subdued the cursing Jashinist was being, they held their tongues, not wishing to spark off the attitude within him once more.

It was a little while later, that Hidan decided to pray but seemed more side-tracked than usual, since he kept glancing up at the door every-now-and-then, checking to make sure he hadn't missed Konan coming out, Kakuzu was walking around in a big circle, thinking deeply to himself, whilst Pein and Kisame were both sat down on the only two chairs that they'd deemed wise enough to bring out of a cupboard opposite, actually surprised that they'd found a secret stash of chairs and a couple of table there, each of them seeming to take turns in staring at the walls or at their joined hands.

It was about another five minutes when the door opened quietly, to reveal a rather tired and pale Konan.

All the men walked towards her-apart from Hidan, whom swooped over to her and was soon demanding how she was doing.

Konan sighed in irritation and immediately answered "She appears to be stable for the moment… she didn't wake once, even when I was cleaning her wounds of blood and dirt. With her fast healing abilities, most of her wounds should be healed by tomorrow..."

"But, she will live-right?" Hidan asked almost desperately, cursing himself mentally for sounding so needy and child-like.

Konan nodded silently and continued "Yes, she should be fine, but...the only things that concern me is the wound on her shoulder, it's trying to heal, but, seems to be failing to do so, because of the holy water that you said she'd been stabbed with, I've washed most of it out, but, as far as I can tell, that one might not heal properly for a good many more days yet and her left arm, Kakuzu, you'll have to stitch that one-just to make sure."

Kakuzu gave a small nod in agreement, since Shinko had asked him to do that earlier anyway.

"Can we see her?" Kisame asked quietly.

Konan glanced back to the closed door behind herself and thought for a moment, hesitating slightly, before she finally muttered "You could, but, I have no idea when she'll wake up and the first thing she's going to want is blood, she's lost a lot of her own, though the bleeding has stopped…for now."

They all stood silently for a moment, when Pein finally broke the silence and muttered "I will go in first."

He nodded to Konan and she went in with Pein, the door was closed behind them and all that could be heard was their voices, what was being said was impossible to understand, after ten minutes of them both discussing the possibilities that maybe she wasn't as safe here with them as they'd first imagined, did they finally leave the room.

They continued down the hallways, back towards Pein's office, still talking to each other.

Hidan sighed and lifting his head that was previously rested in his hands, he got up and looking over to Kisame, whom looked as though he were going to go in next, Hidan stated "I'm going in next."

Kisame stared at him for a moment, before nodding to himself, he backed away from the door and allowed Hidan some space, instead, he went back over to Kakuzu and they began talking quietly to each other.

Of what, Hidan weren't sure and didn't care about at that moment.

Hidan didn't wait any longer, he was already stood up and walked briskly inside the room.

The door slammed behind himself, shutting out the others, Kisame and Kakuzu exchanged glances and a rather careless shrug.

Though, Kisame kept a close eye on the closed door and wondered to himself if Hidan was perhaps growing soft for the young, half-vamp after all.

He pushed the thought away as Kakuzu moved onto another subject, naturally, involving money and all his suspicions were soon forgotten.

**To be continued...**

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**A/N:**** Omg! Will Shinko confess her feelings for Hidan? Will Hidan return them? Will Shinko recover from her wounds? And what role does Kakuzu and Kisame play in this? **

**Find out only in the next chappie :P**

**Okay, now I know I haven't done this yet, so let me do it now-**

**Special thank you to; 'Riayna Darkheart', 'watergoddesskasey', 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' and 'rushninja' for their lovely reviews!**

**I really DO appreciate it, sorry that it took so long to thank you guys! ^^'**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	15. Losing Control

**A/N: **Hey guys, I'm so VERY sorry for how long it's taken for me to update, I didn't mean to keep you all waiting. But I shall give you a run-down of what's happened. When I started back at college, I became depressed, found out that everyone in my class hates me and when I went to work on this chapter; I somehow accidentally DELETED the folder with ALL my chapters to this story in. Yes, I know, so unfair and so very stupid. Luckily, all the chapters were NOT completed and I kept chapter 15 open, so I didn't lose this one. however, it meant that I had to copy and paste every chapter I've done so far and now I have NO outlines of my story to guide me along anymore. So, from now on, I will be doing this story from the top of my head. At one point, I almost gave-up on this story, unsure of whether I knew how to finish it off or not, but now, I've decided to continue and make it 10x BETTER the the original (or so I hope). Again, I'm sorry about all this and the waiting, please don't be too mad, I'll try and at LEAST get a chapter of this out once a fortnight, since I'm coming up to the end of my college course and have this HUGE-ARSE project to complete. Anywho, thanx for your patience-happy reading!

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**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Fifteen: Losing Control**

The door slammed shut behind himself and Hidan weren't surprised when he found the room was kept dark, the only source of light would either be from the gas-lamps and the tiny window high up on the wall, the same old blue curtains covered the small window.

The room was barely warm and he found himself shivering, this was all mainly for Shinko's benefit, since her body temperature was always quite cool.

There weren't much in the room itself, only a few cabinets and a sink along the far-left wall, a side table next to the medical bed where Shinko lay with a small bowl of water, which he presumed was to dampen the cloth upon the Dhampir's forhead.

One of the gas-lamps were situated by the door and the other by the small window, the medical bed itself, was pushed up against the far-right wall and there was a wooden chair next to the bed and another at the end of the bed, nearest the door.

It didn't look cosy, the white tiled floors and the pale coloured walls were something rarely seen in the Akatsuki base, normally all the walls were splayed with dark colours, nothing merely as bright and cheerful looking as this, not only that, but it made the room look cold itself.

The gas-lamps were on low, making it just possible for him to find the chair in the room, without tripping over something useable across the floor, as there usually was in every members room and other rooms.

He quietly made his way over to the bedside, stopping before the chair and as he looked down at Shinko, his nose scrunched up as he murmured "Damn...look at the state you've gotten yourself into this time..."

There was no reply from the rather corpse-looking Shinko.

She was so pale, almost like milk, her breaths were very slow, it looked as thought she weren't breathing at all and her body looked rigid, as if she were stuck in place-which is what usually happens to a corpse after a couple of hours.

He pulled his scythe from the chain that was connected to the bottom of the scythes handle and placed it on the floor beside him as he sat down, the chair was cold making him wince and curse to himself.

For many long minutes he just sat there and watched her, waiting for her to one moment be there-and the next stood beside him, smiling at him as she'd done a few nights ago-just as she used to smile and her eyes would be those calm, black pools of innocence-instead of the harsh pale blue that made her look cold and harsh.

"Why are you suddenly acting up now, huh? You're always so fucking moody and so complicated to understand, how the hell am I supposed to get close to you if you don't open up to me?" Hidan hissed as he leaned forwards towards the bed, resting his elbows upon his knees.

Again there was no reply and he soon found himself feeling rather helpless, he teeth ground together in a burst of anger as he realised there weren't anything he could do for her, he weren't a Medic, he couldn't predict the future, he was just Hidan; a disciple of Jashin, that's all.

"Why can't you just be like you were? Is that too much to fucking ask?! Why couldn't you be like that kid that I used to love so fucking much? Now you're...a woman, all grown-up..." His voice trailed off as recognition hit him, rendering him speechless.

Of course he missed the way Shinko _used_ to be, but...now he weren't so sure...she was growing-up, in more ways than one, she was beautiful and strong, she made him feel things he'd never felt before, those feelings were great and make him feel like the happiest guy in the world, but then they were also a curse, they made him feel pain where his heart is and often made him feel miserable, as though the world was coming to an end.

He didn't understand what was happening to himself, but he knew it was something to do with Shinko.

For many minutes he sat there, silently contemplating his thoughts and feelings on the Dhampir, unable to get a grasp on what it was that made her so appealling to him.

Eventually, Hidan sighed and decided to refresh her flannel with some cool water left out in the bowl by the bed.

As he took the cloth and ringed it out, he heard something shift on the bed, he looked over his shoulder and there she was.

Alive and moving.

He let out a sigh of relief, a smile working to his face and turned to her "Fuck Shinko, I was worried you'd never wake-up, how are you feeling?"

She seemed to have ignored him, which annoyed him slightly, but he knew she was probably trying to wake herself up again.

She suddenly sat up without using her arms to help her; like she was being pulled by Sasori's chakra threads, he couldn't read her face since her hair fell down around her, like a veil and for a few seconds he wondered if he should call Konan back, was she supposed to move around?

She remained perfectly still, her breathing was more fluid now, but she didn't speak once, confused, Hidan decided that it'd be best to make her lie down and rest a little longer.

She was probably still half-unconcious, it probably didn't even register in her head that she was awake, safe in the Akatsuki base and alone in a room with him.

He stood up and moved towards her, placing a gentle-but firm hand against her right shoulder, steering her round, signifying for her to lay back down upon the bed.

She still didn't move, it was strange, but even with most of his strength he couldn't get her to move, it was like she glued to the spot.

"Come on, Shinko, you're still injured, you need to fucking rest!" He growled to her, still attempting to push her down on the bed, but was still unable to do so.

However, his heart nearly stopped when his eyes caught the heavy gaze of her bright blue ones, staring at him in hunger.

He pushed himself away from her and took a couple of steps away from her, watching as her head slowly inclined to keep her stare fixed upon him.

It was something to expect in a horror film, those parts _never_ freaked him out, but seeing the real thing made him feel very creeped out and was unsure of how to react.

Her fangs were slowly protruding from her lips, dark rings were becoming even more visible under her eyes, her breathing became laboured and her eyes were shining at him like glowtorches.

He'd never seen her like this before, had never seen her look at him like this before, was this what she looked like when she was about to kill her prey?

"Shinko...you should rest...I'll go and get Konan and Leader, they'll know what's wrong-" he cut off as her body turned and her legs hung over the side of the bed, her bare feet touching the floor.

He grabbed his scythe from beside the chair, not intending to use it, but he knew that he didn't want to be Shinko's next meal.

"Shinko…I think you should lay down, I'll go and-"

"Blood…I need…_blood_…" Shinko cut in with her little murmurings of hunger, she stood up and slowly walked towards him, he couldn't help but notice the way her hips swayed as she walked to him, the way her starved eyes devoured his gaze and how her long white hair hung down around her chest, elbows and waist.

As her eyes locked with his, he felt his own grow heavy, as though looking into her eyes was sending shards of ice piercing into his warm body.

He became sluggish, weak and the worst-yet strangely the best part, was that he felt strongly attracted to her, perhaps aroused, but not to the point where he'd a hard-on or start throwing sexy comments her way.

It was the subtle attraction, the one where it needed no words, for it'd ruin the moment.

He quickly moved away from her, going against his body and making himself give them some space-this was what he really wanted-not having his blood drained out of him.

Fixed on giving Shinko some room, his back hit the cabinets behind himself, his head whirled round, noticing that this was as far as he could go within the small room and cursed out loud for not noticing sooner.

He was trapped.

When he looked around at Shinko, he found to his surprise and terror that she was already in front of him, standing so close to him, that he felt intoxicated by her very presence.

He couldn't move, he felt paralyzed from surprise, it was rather scary how he hadn't heard her come up behind him.

She stepped closer now, their chests were touching and Hidan felt his breathing increase, never before had she gone out of her way to be this close to him, it was always him making the move.

She raised her right arm and let it hang around his neck, she stared at him for some moments-as though she were thinking of something and then she rested her head against his bare chest.

His heart began beating relentlessly against his ribcage and he knew with something short of confusion that she was listening to his heartbeat.

He would've felt pity for her, if he weren't already worried for what he hoped wouldn't transpire.

It must be hard knowing that your heart doesn't beat, that you weren't..._alive_; different, to always feel cold and need blood to survive, that was probably why she was almost driven to insanity.

He'd always been there for her, always tried to help her from the sidelines, tried to give her a kick up the arse to motivate her and tried to be someone she could count on.

But now...

She was something completely different, she weren't human, definitely not normal.

She was and always will be a _monster_.

Always trying to satiate her hunger; never finding fulfillment, always looking for a place to be at ease; but is now hunted by almost everyone on the outside, always seeking answers; never finding any and longing for someone to understand her; but no one cared to look and see her sufffering.

His head titled back, looking up helplessly towards the ceiling, not wanting this to continue any further, but at the same time waiting for the pain to come.

She stroked her face against his chest like a cat would rub itself against a persons legs, he could feel her smiling against his heart-it was like she already knew it would only beat for her, her other arm came up slowly and stroked his left cheek softly, caressing it harmlessly-almost as if she were teasing him.

His mind and body were working way over-time.

His attraction to her only intensified by the mere second that he remained in her embrace, although she was rather cool to touch, he just felt like…hugging her.

She leaned her body in and rested it against his, letting a small, contented sigh pass her lips.

That was what made him move.

Helpless, Hidan dropped his scythe to the floor, causing a loud bang, probably not loud enough to warn Kakuzu and Kisame who were most likely still waiting outside, he bent down a little to her level and linked his arms around her waist tightly, hugging her as thought she were going to disappear any moment.

"Shinko…" He muttered and his eyes closed on their own violation.

She raised her head, leaning up, she slowly licked the hollow of his throat, her tongue was soft and wet, he tasted slightly salty and smelt of his own blood, mildly cheap hair gel and a male musk that was hard to pinpoint on what it was.

Feeling her touching his skin with her tongue caused him to moan through the sheer ecstasy and helpless onslaught of lust that flooded through his body.

Her tongue retreated back to the cavern of her mouth as she trailed light kisses along his neck, just below his ear and back across his hard chest, his eyes squeezed tightly at how gentle she was being, was this perhaps her being sympathetic towards him?

She linked both of her arms around his neck, resting her lips against the main artery of his neck; readying herself for the final plunge that would satiate her hunger.

Just as she was about to sink her fangs into Hidan's neck, she heard him mutter one last, helpless plea "Shinko…don't…"

And then everything seemed to have stopped for a few moments, he lips still pressed against his neck and his head pressed into her hair.

Her eyes widened, she immediately stopped breathing to cut off the desire of wanting to smell his aroma and his blood.

She could still hear the beating of his heart, his laboured breathing and his blood rushing through his veins, all these were aphrodisiacs to tempt the mind and body.

But now she was far beyond tempted.

She was disgusted. At herself.

She heard him heave a heavy sigh against her neck, his hot breath sent chills down her spine and she found herself totally revolted at how close she was to draining his blood.

She felt him shivering in her embrace, probably relieved and for a few moments, she hugged him to herself, lifting her lips away from his neck, she buried her head against his right shoulder.

Tears built up behind her eyelids and quickly wrenched herself away from him, turning she onto her knees upon the floor.

She was about to drink his blood.

Even he weren't safe around her anymore.

"I'm sorry…so sorry, Hidan…" she muttered to him, the tears she tried to hold back fell out now, trailing down her pale cheeks and dripped onto her skirt.

She didn't dare look into his eyes, she knew she was a monster, everyone thought of her as a horrid monster that has no feelings, that doesn't deserve any love.

Her long hair fell about her as she bent her head low, her hands on the floor before her knees, holding her upder-body from falling to the tiled floor.

For a while his heavy breathing and her slight sniffing was all that could be heard amidst the silence inside the room.

Eventually, his heart and breathing slowed, he cleared his throat and then asked "Shinko...are you crying?"

She made a sound of pain and her head moved away from him, trying to make him believe that she was alright and that it was his imagination.

"Why are you-"

"Just go away! Get away from me!" She snapped at him in agony, no longer trusting herself to be 'normal' around him.

"B-but why?"

Shinko looked round and up at him with tear-stained cheeks and an harsh stare, hearing the confusion in his voice made her want to scream at him, didn't he understand that this proved she could no longer behave herself, not even with him.

He stared at her wordlessly, seeing the pain written on her face and the anger in her eyes, unsure of what to do or say.

"I'm no longer capable of being close to _anyone_-not even _you_, It's too risky, no one is safe around me anymore."

Hearing that made something inside Hidan's chest break, as if he been punched in the gut and set on fire from the inside-out.

He watched her as she cried and turned her head away from him again, his teeth clenched, feeling immense pain and anger, he muttered "Everytime I try and get close to you, there's always something fucking things up! I don't see how we can be together if things are gonna continue this way..."

She gasped quietly, shock settling in her stomach, she heard him walk away, even heard the door open and close behind Hidan, he left the room and she was still on the floor with tears flowing from her eyes.

'He does love me...' the thought crossed her mind as she glanced over her shoulder at the closed door and then let out a cry of pain as she knew that she'd ruined any hope of a chance at a relationship with the only man she loved.

**/*\*/*\**

Once outside, Hidan didn't bother to look at Kakuzu and Kisame, both of which, were sat down in the two chairs and waiting for him to leave the room.

They both spied his scythe in his hand and the unreadable expression across his face as he walked away from them.

"Oi, what happened now?" Kisame asked, trying to figure out why Hidan would look so...distraught.

Hidan paused in the dark hallway and keeping his back to them, he didn't answer.

"Hidan, snap out of it, is Shinko awake?" Kakuzu snapped as he walked over and shook his partner none-to-gently.

Hidan didn't look at him, instead he shook Kakuzu's hand off of his left shoulder, he walked away from them slowly and stated "She needs rest, don't bother her."

Hidan walked down the dark corridors alone, back to his room, deciding he would pray to Jashin and see if he could find an answer, he didn't know whether it was best to give up on the Dhampir-especially since they've come a long way already.

Either way he had to think of something because Shinko was still apart of the team.

**To be continued... **

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**A/N: God, stories and cliffhangers like this just make me want to smash the two main characters' heads together! But don't worry, they'll eventually sort things out...I think .**

**Big thank you to; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki', I'm VERY sorry I kept you waiting, I shall give you a cookie and I hope you'll keep reading this :3**

**I appreciate all the feed-back I've gotten, I shall give you all cookies!**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	16. I Love Her

**A/N: ****Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to get out, I'd had to rush it to get it done, haha, my computer crashed last week and I'd lost all my stories and college work, so I had to buy a new computer-or well, a laptop in my case :D Luckily, all my stories was saved on my USB stick, so I haven't had much access to a computer until recently-and most of that time was spent to catch-up with my college work. I will hopefully get the next one out within the next two weeks, again, I'm sorry for the delay, but these things happen, thanx for all your patience-happy reading!**

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**Summary:** Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Sixteen: I Love Her**

I don't know when it was that I realised it.

But somewhere along the line I'd fallen in love with her.

You could call it pathetic and unmanly, but I really do care for her.

She is everything I desire from a woman, probably because she's the only woman that has ever made me feel like this.

This burning lust for wanting her every moment of the day to the cold anger that made me want to silence the beating of my heart every time something prevented us from being together.

It was like there was some unnoticeable force out there, toying with us, making us suffer unnecessarily and yet, gave us hope that we could be with each other-like _normal _people.

If only that were true.

It hurts to know that she's being hunted by the same clan that'd hunted her grandfather for years.

To think that at any time she could be taken from me, I can't even think of it without gritting my teeth, since I knew there'd be a time when myself and Kakuzu wouldn't be there beside her, there'd come a time when she'd be on her own; almost vulnerable.

It was myself and Kakuzu that'd been called up to help her grandfather in the first place, that's when I'd met her, for the very first time...

**/*\*/*\**

"Don't mess things up, Hidan, this man is paying us more money than I'd ever get from a bounty to help him." Kakuzu had hissed at me from under his breath, sending me an evil glare from under his eyelashes-or what was left of them, either way, I knew better than to answer back at him, especially when he sends me that glare of his.

Despite him being taller and always spoke with such a gruff voice I still heard what he'd said.

It was always the same thing with him-_every single fucking time._

Money, money, money, money, money!

I don't honestly know why he harboured such an obsession for the horrid stuff, always counting up balances, finding ways of gaining more money and always trying to cut costs anywhere possible.

Kakuzu had often said that the money he earned was used for Akatsuki business and not for personal gain, business I was sure to either fall asleep at the mere mention of or probably rant about its uselessness and I also knew that it was such a lie about all the money-gathering he'd been dragging me around everywhere to collect was all for personal gain, how did I know this?

Easily enough, I'd always noticed that the uniforms didn't hold very well, I'd had to ask Kakuzu more than seven times to sew my cloak back together and on more than one occasion he'd charged me for fixing my cloak, simply because I'd been wasting his time and 'time is money'.

Sometimes I wonder why I ever joined such an organization of freak-jobs, hmm, it might have something to do with the fact that I've been kicked out of my village...yeah, that's it.

Look, I know I'm not perfect, I'm nowhere near 'normal', but the others, they were as fucked up as a watermelon being shoved up Pein's arse whilst riding a bicycle.

That was rather disturbing...and why the fuck did I think of Pein? Why not Kakuzu?! He's the one that's always pissing me off!

Jashin damn him to hell!

Ah, much better.

Anyway, we'd been travelling for many weeks to get there after literally being on the other side of the continent and only then did we receive word from Leader that we were go to Demon country for a new assignment, to protect some rich Lord that was being hunted by some clan that I couldn't remember the name of.

I hadn't been looking forward to this assignment ever since Leader had said something to us about it, for it meant walking for weeks on end to reach at our destination, we had stayed in crappy run-down hotels and ate shit food-because it was cheap, I had hoped that the Lord we had to protect wouldn't be a fucking miser like Kakuzu, if he'd been the same then I think I'd just slam my head against a rock and knock myself out for the entirety of the stupid-arse mission.

The land that we'd crossed had been dark as night-even during the day, the sky had been particularly dark, the air had been very chilly, making me wish that Kakuzu hadn't been such a tight-arse and allowed us to have thicker cloaks and everywhere I'd turned, everything had been covered in that annoying fog which left my eyesight useless.

However, I'd only complained in my head at the time, Pein had warned us that there'd been strange creatures that had the ability to destroy immortality, of course I'd snorted at that, if it hadn't been for almost coming face-to-face with one of _them_.

Me and Kakuzu hadn't been able to catch a proper view of what we'd supposedly been up against, however, we'd seen it's silhouette in the moonlight from above in the night sky.

It'd been fucking huge, I'd never been one to be scared, but this'd been something completely different, it hadn't been human, fuck! It'd been far from human, instead, it'd been more beast-like than anything else, it'd been huge and having just listened to it growling, it'd made me turn pale at the thought of whatever that thing had been sinking it's jaws into my skin.

Good thing me and Kakuzu had been hiding at the time and the wind had been blowing _towards _us, not _from _us, our position had stayed secure and undisturbed, in the end, I think even Kakuzu had been more than creeped out, since we'd spent the entire night in that fucking uncomfortable tree.

Luckily, we hadn't seen anymore of the creature after that, but that hadn't stopped me from keeping my mouth shut, I knew I could easily let the whole world know where I was at anytime, didn't mean that I wanted those beastly creatures to find us again and rip us apart, fuck, it's arms had been long enough!

I don't usually listen to Leader's bullshit, but we'd been in another country, I'd never been to this one before, so I kept quiet in hopes of not invoking some unreligious creature to no doubt come _my_ way to eat me.

Kakuzu always said that it'd be my loud mouth that'd be the end of us someday, but I didn't believe a word that fucking tosser said, he'd always tried to wind me up, tried to prove he'd always been superior to me and I hated him for it.

After what'd felt like days of mindless walking and silence, we'd come too what'd looked to be a black iron gate that'd stood up high above myself and Kakuzu, ivy had hung across it, reminding me of a run-down cemetery, the ones where you'd think of a stupid sob story and the ghosts of tortured children that'd been neglected in the afterlife still hung out and cried by their graves, hoping that some poor fucker that passes by would hear their cries and go to them.

I'd feel sorrier for the bugger that would have to sort out their problems, however, I doubted there'd been any ghosts there, if there were, then hell, it would've been such a _long_ trip!

The huge-arse gates luckily weren't locked up, it meant that we could go in more discreetly without making so much noise, it always attracted unwanted attention, of course I want to sacrifice as many godless swine's as possible to Jashin, however, that didn't mean I wanted to attract unwanted creatures to us, especially when we're so close.

The stupid Lord whatever-his-name-was had better give me a decent room and food if he'd been expecting me to fight against the unknown.

Fuck, there'd been no way I was gonna have my dick possibly singed off just for the laziness of one man!

We'd paused before going in, I presumed Kakuzu had been listening out for any tell-tale signs of those creatures roaming about the place, although it'd probably been a good idea at the time, I'd just felt so impatient because I'd only wanted to get into a warm bath, have a soak, my muscles had ached so much that I doubted my performance would've been at its highest.

A comfy bed and a hot meal would've been lovely too, Kakuzu could've had my share of the money so long as I'd had all my comforts met I wouldn't have had any problems with the mission.

But I had...

Kakuzu had gone in first-naturally, it'd always been Kakuzu to go in first, always Kakuzu to have gotten the best kills and always Kakuzu that got the luxuries and all the fucking credit, I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been congratulated on succeeding in a mission that would've otherwise had failed if I hadn't used my immortality to save Kakuzu's arse, okay, so I admit I sometimes get carried away-but so does Kisame!

The big, fat, blue, shark-thing always got loads of credit and he went even more mental than me during battle-dude, there's something seriously wrong with that statement right there.

_I'm _supposed to be known as the one that went mega-crazy in battle, not old gill-face!

It'd almost been like I'd been slapped in the face with a wet fish...Kisame's wet fish; ugh...that's disturbing...the horror...IMAGES!

"_Hidan! _If I hear you make any other sound from that big, fat mouth of yours, I'll rip it off myself-_got it?!"_ Kakuzu's gruff voice threatened me once more; of course I'd rolled my eyes at how over-dramatic he'd been, okay, so we hadn't been in a well-known area, fuck! Anything could've jumped out and raped our fucking arses, but-_come on! _

That didn't mean I'd been blowing our cover by groaning in disgust or mumbling a few odd curses here-and-there at the disturbing images that often bounced off the inner-walls of my head, I couldn't help having such a perverse mind!

It'd been once we'd entered the inner sanctum–ha, I can use big words too! Of the fortress, something-or-other, either way, I hadn't been expecting to see so much of the fucking fog, gah! It'd been so frustrating having my sight limited.

As I'd expected, there'd been many dead plants that surrounded the path, it'd been more than obvious that no one had taken care of the gardens in years, dead leaves had been spread everywhere across the ground, it'd made it almost impossible to see where I'd been treading, at the time, I'd hoped that I didn't trip and fall flat on my face, I knew only too well that Kakuzu would never have let me live that one down, unless he'd fallen down as well...though that'd been as likely as seeing Kakuzu being bitch-slapped by some prostitute that would have no experience in fighting.

My impatience had gotten the better of me and I couldn't have held myself together-even if Lord Jashin killed me then, I laughed, having pictured the scene where Kakuzu was being bitch-slapped by a weak woman on replay over-and-over in my head, I just couldn't control myself, it'd been too funny!

I'd continued laughing, even as Kakuzu's fist had come out to smack me in the side of the face, I'd been expecting it, so I'd easily dodged it, whilst still laughing my arse off, though I had to admit it, it'd made harder to move than usual, even so, I'd still manage to dodge the barrage of punches and kicks that'd been headed my way.

I couldn't tell you how amusing it'd been to see Kakuzu so riled-up over something so small as me laughing aloud, I'd no longer gave a shit about monsters coming to kill us, I just couldn't hold it in!

However, it hadn't lasted long...

"Ahem!"

It didn't belong to Kakuzu, he'd still been trying to hit me, but had stopped dead still the moment we'd heard the deep voice interrupt our rather...unusual tirade.

I hadn't cared at that moment, knowing that I'd shown Kakuzu up had made my day, of course he'd been mad at me later for it, but it'd been _so _worth it, to have him acting up like a kid would've done-even at his age, had been beyond hilarious!

I'd somehow managed to control my laughter, even though I'd felt so tempted to have continued until the next morning, no matter who would've heard me, myself and Kakuzu had straightened almost immediately-something which we'd grown accustomed to doing when we were in the presence of our Leader and the other members, it weren't because of our loyalty, just the total opposite, we'd both hated being called to those stupid meetings in our ethereal forms, they'd always had us on edge since they'd always been long and boring.

Most of what was ever said during those meetings I'd barely listened too, I'd been too busy staring off into space and praying to my Lord Jashin.

But that'd been when there'd been no base where we'd all rest and congregate together, making meetings so much easier without having to try and balance on that fucking statue-finger-thing and we're not as vulnerable as we once had been when travelling in pairs, even I'd had to begrudgingly admit; everyone has a weakness, it'd only take the enemy to figure it out and then it'd be guaranteed you'd be dead at the end of the battle.

We'd stood next to each other, staring straight ahead of us where the deep voice had come from, I'd been surprised to see the mist slowly dispersing around us, it'd been so nice to have my sight back, even if it'd just been to see all those fucking dead plants, it'd still not prepared me for what I'd seen next.

Two figures, one of them had been taller than the other, I had already assumed by that time that was who'd the deep voice had belonged too, however, I'd been more curious about the smaller figure, at that moment, I'd guessed it'd been his servant or something, most Lords have those trailing after them.

My mouth had almost fell open when I saw that it'd been a small girl standing next to him, she'd been holding his hand, she'd looked no older than fourteen and by Jashin she'd been beautiful, and okay, I'm _not _gay, but even I'd had to admit that what'd looked to be her father had also been very handsome as well.

They'd both had white hair, the girl's had been longer than his, hers had a black bow at the back where the rest of those white locks hung down to her elbows, her eyes had been dark, dark as coal, where as his had been a bright blue, shining at them, no doubt it'd been to prove of his hidden power that he'd had.

They'd been dressed in such weird clothes, nothing I'd ever seen before, the girl had worn a long-sleeved white top, black plaited skirt, black tights, black shiny shoes with a silver buckle on them and I'd remember catching those black rose earrings of hers in her ears, however, the man wore a poets shirt, tight black trousers, knee-length black boots with silvers buckles on the sides and that long black cape, he also wore black leather gloves.

They'd definitely fit the part of Lord and Lady, but I hadn't expected him to have had a daughter.

"Thank you for coming, gentlemen, I am Lord Tadashii Hoshi and this is my granddaughter; Shinko Hoshi." The man's silky voice had almost lulled me into some sort of deep sleep, I guess I'd must've been exhausted, however, it hadn't been so much because of that, Tadashii Hoshi had a power no other Vampire could ever hope to have held, he could manipulate his victims' bodies by the power of his voice alone, Shinko's power was very much the same, except she used her eyes, instead of her voice, I suspect she could do both, unless it'd been a hereditary thing that passed through the family, making the power work differently within each generation.

But that hadn't been what'd snapped both mine and Kakuzu's heads up to look at the girl, she'd been quiet, that'd been a given, but it'd been because she'd been his _granddaughter_ and not his _daughter_ that'd confused us both, of course we hadn't known at the time that they'd both been Vampire's, or of the Werewolves stalking the area around them, then there'd been that stupid clan that I'd forgotten the name of the very moment Pein had mentioned it.

Tadashii had looked so young, he could've been Shinko's _lover _for all I'd known and hey, it's not an uncommon thing, I'd seen so many men chasing younger girls, of course it'd been sickening, but having looked at those two together, you wouldn't have thought of it as disgusting, they'd looked so perfect together.

"She doesn't speak much, come, there is much we must discuss and I'm sure you both wish to freshen up?" His question had snapped us awake, I'd been pretty sure Kakuzu had been thinking along the same lines as I had, but we'd never talked to each other about, we'd never had the chance, since after the very moment we'd nodded our heads in agreement, we'd been whisked away from the dark world of the outside, to bright illuminated rooms of the inside, where everything had been expensively decorated and I knew even Lord Jashin himself would've been more than pleased with a home like that.

Throughout the mission, Shinko and me had become close; friends, of course Kakuzu had warmed-up to the girl as well, but not as much as I had, I'd never known her to talk, laugh and smile so much as she had done around me and her grandfather, at first she'd become something like what a little sister would've been to me, but now...

After all the fighting had finished, Tadashii had begun to look much older than he'd ever done since we'd been in his company, he'd fought alongside us the entire way, helping us, he'd become one of the team, to me, it'd looked as though he'd reached his limits, I didn't know how old he really was, I doubt even Shinko knew, but I could guess he'd been older than a thousand years.

He'd all but pleaded with us to take Shinko-from what I could gather-his last remaining relative away with us, to look after her, train her and keep her safe, we'd both been unsure, after all, we hadn't known anything of Shinko's abilities, or if she'd had any, other than super-strength, fast healings abilities and super-speed, it'd been a big gamble, a risk that we'd never have taken, but Tadashii had done more for us than anyone in our lives had ever done, despite all the money we'd received, we'd still felt indebted to him and eventually we'd agreed to take her away with us.

Shinko had cried so much when we'd taken her away, but to have seen the relief on Tadashii's face had been well worth it, besides, who'd have known that I would've fallen in love with the young Dhampir?

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**A/N: Well, this has been the FIRST ever chapter of this story and possibly any other I have written in Hidan's P.O.V, I tried my best, hope I did alright, but I thought it'd be a good idea to hear what he thinks of Shinko instead of trying to guess all the time, haha! XD Also a peak into Hidan _and _Shinko's past, a bit of Tadashii was thrown in there as well, hope I didn't confuse anyone! . Anywho, the next chappie will continue on as normal in Shinko's P.O.V but the storyline will be back to normal-thank Jashin! Writing in past tense is rather difficult to remember at times! . **

**I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'aurla0', 'Tigress Noel', 'watergoddesskasey' and 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' for their very encouraging and wonderful reviews! You have all been so great, I am so grateful and happy that you guys take a few moments to submit your feedback, if there's anything you want to know or ask, then don't be shy, I'll be happy to answer and your name will also be put in my next chappie :D **

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	17. Epiphany

**A/N: Hi guys, I know it's been a while, I'm sorry, I've been struggling to motivate myself to write-yep, I got the terrible writer's-block, fuck me, it's annoying as hell, I had often sat at my screen staring, I admit there'd been a few times I could've done more on this story, but I just didn't feel I'd get it done right. This story may be on-hold for a while after this chapter, because I am coming to my final project at college, it's gonna take a lot out of me, but it's gotta get done if I want to pass the course. I **_**promise **_**all stories will resume with fortnightly-or sooner updates when I've finished college, which should be in about two-three months' time, so...really, not that long to wait when you think about how long it's taking me to update on this thing, haha! Anywho, please read and review! Happy Easter everyone!**

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**Summary:**Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Seventeen: Epiphany**

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

The noise of the water dripping from a the tap that hadn't been turned secure enough to stop the water completely flowing, was still making that annoying sound; relentless and it didn't help anyone with sensitive hearing to wake-up to _that_.

Shinko's brow furrowed together in annoyance, she'd only recently woken up from her drug enthused sleep-compliments of Konan, Kakuzu, Pein and Kisame themselves, Kakuzu and Kisame had been the ones to walk in and discovered her sobbing on the floor in a huddle, such animalistic sounds had been ripped from her throat from what'd happened before, naturally they'd been curious to see whether she was really alright. Only to discover she was far from it, she remembered hearing faintly Kakuzu ordering Kisame to get Pein and Konan immediately; she'd felt Kakuzu's strong, heavy arms hold her to him, in hopes of comfort whilst he murmured words that she no longer remembered in her ear.

She still couldn't remember much of what'd happened after that, though she knew they'd injected her with morphine, not only to numb the pain of her shoulder wound, but also to knock her out for goodness-knows-how-long, either way, she knew it would do nothing to cure her broken heart.

At a few times, she'd been aware of voices around her, she'd been in-and-out of consciousness for what had felt like years, but she'd just put it down to either her insanity or her dreams, though she'd been certain she hadn't dreamed of anything coherent, she couldn't remember anything the warm darkness, a void she'd rested within for however long she'd been laid here for.

Her body ached, as if she'd run half-way across the world and back again, the point of pain came from her shoulder-where she'd been hit with the arrow dripping in Holy Water, something she hadn't noticed until the last minute, since her senses had been rendered useless for some time after almost being blown to pieces, she'd definitely been unable to fight properly, but had forced herself to support Hidan in case the Youchi clan succeeded in killing him, or making him unable to battle for a time, long enough for them to either take him away with them for interrogation or for something else unimaginable.

Shinko weren't going to ever let them touch a hair on Hidan's head, she cared for him too much to allow that to happen, okay, so she might be overreacting, however, the Youchi clan are well-known for killing many strong Vampire's, that's why she'd faired pretty badly up against them by herself.

Shinko's eyes peeled open slowly, only to be met with the plain ceiling that was shrouded in darkness; everything seemed blurry for a few moments, her head felt fuzzy and for a few moments she didn't know where she was.

"You're awake, that's a good sign." She recognised Konan's voice instantly, she didn't even need to look at the other woman to know it was her, she could tell easily by her scent as she leaned over her and placed a gentle hand upon her forehead, checking her temperature, though she didn't need too, Shinko's heart stopped beating the moment she was born, thus taking away any ability for her body to become warm and blush.

Shinko didn't reply, she merely lowered her eyes to stare at the far wall, feeling grateful that her sight was slowly returning to normal, at least she could still see, but that didn't ease the terrible ache in her chest, it was as though she'd been ripped open from her ribcage.

She felt empty and alone, despite the blue-haired kunoichi standing next to her bed, watching her with a glimmer of concern at her silence.

Shinko shifted on the bed, wondering whether she was ready to face Hidan again, no doubt he was still upset with her for rejecting him, pushing him away from her, she knew a man could only take so much of that crap, although she loved him, she knew it would be impossible to lay claim to his heart when he was constantly in danger, always having to look over his shoulder and make sure she weren't standing too close.

She'd pushed the boundaries before by almost sucking his blood more than twice, she'd struggled so much along the way and now she knew it would be impossible to be with him like she'd hoped...planned to because of the 'Youchi' clan, not only would he be constantly making sure she didn't sink her fangs into his neck, but he'd get caught up in a feud that's been raging between three clans for hundreds of _years._

Re-focusing her attention on the other woman, Shinko licked her dry lips, aware of the crucial fact that she was thirsty, hungering for blood, something which needed to quenched as soon as possible, however, her eyes could not meet Konan's, they were too curious, concerned and relieved, instead, Shinko took to looking at her lap, fiddling with her hands idly.

"How long have I been out of it?" Her voice was devoid of all emotion, she had no doubt that Konan knew of her broken heart, and couldn't she _hear_ it? Couldn't she hear the screams of anguish coming from her heart? Was it possible that she was the only one to hear it? Would anyone ever notice her pain? Did she want them to notice? Who would want to get close to such a vile creature like herself?

No one.

Except him...he wanted to be close to her, he wanted to love her, hold her, be with her, laugh with her, eat, sleep, bathe and share secrets with each other, Hidan wanted to do that with her, she was certain of it, so why...? Why was she pushing the only man she'd possibly ever love away from her? Was it for his safety?

Nah, Hidan was more than capable of looking after himself, albeit he always wound up in trouble no matter what situation he was in, even in the wilderness he attracted unwanted attention, whether from animals or humans, they always came.

Hidan is immortal, he's not weak, he's his own man, and he knows what he wants...or did want, he wanted her, she was sure of it, but she'd dishonoured him in the worst way possible.

She'd actually made him weak; she'd crushed his ego and made him feel tiny; insignificant.

"Almost three days." Konan's calm voice broke the Dhampir out of her train of thoughts, making her eyes widen considerably, no wonder she was starving!

Shinko made a promise to go and replenish herself as soon as she got off of the bed, of course she'd have to wait until Konan's back is turned, sneaking about without being heard is one of Shinko's many special talents, she could be running in full-view of anyone and no one would ever hear her make a sound.

Slowly, Shinko relaxed, letting out a long sigh, remaining sat still upon the bed, Konan watched her, turning away from her, she went to the sink and washed some equipment, knowing that Shinko was going to eventually run away from her when she weren't watching, she glanced over her shoulder at the younger woman, slightly surprised when Shinko was still in the same position, instead, she muttered "The others were worried about you; Kakuzu, Kisame, myself, Hidan even Pein."

Shinko's hand gripped on the sheets beneath her hand, resisting the horrid urge to cry or deny their fondness of her, she weren't safe to be around, didn't anyone realise that? She was a danger to _everyone_ and if things continued the way they did, she'd be a danger to herself as well.

"He loves you Shinko." This made Shinko's head snap up and stare at Konan in curiosity, feeling a little embarrassed that the other woman knew, well, it was better that she knew rather than Deidara and Tobi.

Konan sighed when she caught the other woman staring at her, as though she hadn't known such a thing until then, it made her a little annoyed that Shinko would pretend to be so oblivious to someone else's feelings, but Konan knew that if someone didn't tell her straight and get her to sort her act together, then she'd make everyone miserable.

Turning to face Shinko, Konan took a deep breath and explained calmly "Hidan is besotted with you, anyone with eyes and ears can tell, he's never acted like this before, I've rarely seen him blush at all, let alone round one person so many times as he has around you. You should've seen how devastated and angry he was when he found out you were injured and possibly dying, he wouldn't accept it."

She saw Shinko's eyes lower from hers and Konan knew then, that Shinko already knew of Hidan's feelings, it weren't that hard to _not_ know, his actions and words were always so obvious, he always had a tendency to speak before thinking and although it had taken a little while to guess at his feelings, they'd certainly become more clear as the weeks progressed.

It was as if he were seeing her as an adult for the first time.

"I know Kakuzu and Kisame care about you too, but it's not the same as the way Hidan cares for you, he doesn't want a quick fuck under the moon, he wants you for keeps-" Shinko's emotionless voice had a slight edge to it as she asked "How would _you_ know what he's thinking?"

Konan reminded herself to remain calm, she took in a deep breath and counted to ten, knowing that explaining calmly would sink in more than it would with shouting at her, Shinko worked differently to other people, the calm-and-collective approach always worked with her, she was always one of those few people that's rather talk out their problems instead of shouting.

"You're right, I don't know what he's thinking, he's a man, I rarely talk to him, rarely want to be in his company because of his loud mouth-" Konan swiftly caught the small smile on the other woman's face and continued "I don't particularly like him, his fighting style-in my opinion is slow and tedious and all he ever does is complain-"

She was cut off this time when Shinko snapped "You're wrong, he doesn't complain all the time, he sometimes brings up good points in arguments, notices things others don't and he can be very caring, he always listened to me, made sure I was okay, laughed with me, treated me like an equal, albeit with some colourful language and sometimes with scrutiny, but he did it nonetheless and when he holds me...I feel so warm inside, I feel complete, like I don't want to ever let go of him..."

Konan smiled brightly, she was glad that Shinko had disagreed with her, for a moment she was hoping she'd read the Dhampir's signals right, it would've been a total disaster if he'd gone this far with her 'speech' only to then find out that the other woman didn't feel the same way as he did.

However, it looks as though she had little to worry about.

Shinko's smile faltered then dropped, looking sad once more, she turned away and stated "But we can't be together, it's not right or fair on him. I'm a monster, on more than one occasion I've come so close to draining him of his blood, I'm being hunted by a clan of elite hunters that specialize in killing Demon's. I'm a monster, I don't deserve to be with him, and I love him enough to know that I don't want to cause him anymore pain."

Konan leaned back against the counter-top, folding her arms across her chest, feeling a little annoyed by this statement, she once again willed herself to remain calm.

"Shinko, sometimes things happen that cannot be helped, you didn't ask him to fall in love with _you_, he did it on his own. Of course you're different to us, _everyone_ here is different to the other, look at Kisame, and he's a fucking shark for God's sake! Because of that, he's never going to be accepted anywhere and it's _very_ unlikely he'll ever find love and he's already in his early thirties, how much longer will it take for _him_ to find someone-it probably won't happen. What about Sasori? He's a puppet, so he may not want to find love, it also means he won't ever get to experience it first-hand, he's cold and calculating, does that make _him _a monster? Define monster? A monster is a raging beast that has no control over themselves or their feelings; they usually take the form of animals and are often referred to as nightmarish creatures. However, monster could also mean that it's in someone's nature; they could be cruel and treacherous, lying and murdering those around them. So if that's true, Shinko, then we're all monster's here."

Shinko's eye widened briefly as it all processed and she looked up at Konan, wanting; needing to hear more of those comforting words, as though someone was looking at the bigger picture instead of being narrow-minded.

"If you're a monster, then so are we, we murder, steal, rape, torture our victims-sometimes without a second thought, we have powerful abilities that make us look inhuman, take Zetsu for example, he doesn't look 'normal', but we accept him for what he is, we accept each other for what we all are, we accept _you_, why can't you accept yourself? Hidan isn't human either, he's immortal, he looks like a fucking voodoo doll in that other crazy version of him, he has to ingest blood, he murders for his religion because of his beliefs, but he doesn't care, he doesn't cry or scream at why he's different or how unfair it all is, he gets on with it; takes it all in his stride-just like the rest of us, so why can't you do the same?"

Konan waited for an answer, but Shinko remained deadly silent for long minutes, her eyes lowered slightly, but instead of having that distant look to them, they held something akin to sudden realisation and wonder.

Shinko had once been able to do that, until something had changed...that night, she just didn't know what'd happened, but something had died inside of her, ever since then, she'd changed, and now that she's growing up, she'd have to start acting her age a bit more, she was afraid of a lot of things, things that she would _never_ admit out loud. In some ways she didn't want to grow-up, she missed her grandfather so much, yet she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself should she have to leave Hidan and Kakuzu, they were always there for her.

They were and still are her family.

And there was no way in hell she was going to lose them!

Shinko looked up, sending a small smile to Konan, she murmured "Thank you, Konan, I think I understand what I have to do now, I appreciate your help."

Konan nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief, she replied "You're welcome, that's what women are for, you know, I was so glad when I found out the next subordinate was a girl and that she'd live here with us, and when you arrived that day, looking so young and innocent, I felt so protective of you and would often watch you from a distance, making sure none of the men tried anything with you. But I didn't have to worry, for Hidan, Kakuzu and eventually Kisame were always there looking out for you as well. In some ways, I look to you as a daughter and other times a younger sister, I don't care if I sound weak, if monsters can sound weak, then that means I'm not one."

That's when it hit Shinko full-force, as if she'd just had an epiphany, she stood up abruptly, wide eyes staring at Konan, making the older woman look slightly nervous, and wondering if she'd perhaps said something out of place.

That was until Shinko's mouth became a huge grin, smiling at Konan she exclaimed happily "That's it! You're so very right! Thank you so much!"

Shinko was at the door before Konan could blink and the blue-haired kunoichi shot round to face her and asked "Where are you going? You should be resting!"

Shinko sent a small wink over at the other woman and stated "There's no way I can sit still now, there's something I really need to do right now-"

Konan quickly interrupted and said "Hidan and Kakuzu won't be back until tonight, they left on a mission the day before yesterday, what is it that you intend to do?"

Shinko merely smiled and replied "That's alright, that gives me plenty of time to prepare myself for their return, I'll tell you afterwards, thanks for everything!"

And then the Dhampir was gone, leaving Konan stood in the middle of the room looking slightly confused, though a small smile surfaced to her lips, knowing that Shinko was going to do the right thing, she hoped that everything would be sorted out from now on, she just couldn't bear to see them both so miserable.

However, only time will tell...

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**A/N: Thank God I finally finished this chapter, it took me ages to complete, haha, please be patient for the next chapter, I'm not going to forget about this story, I just need the time and the right ideas for this to move forward. Actually, I don't think there's that many chapters left, this'll probably go up to 25 chapters? The original was 30 chapters long, but the chapters were really short and lacking in detail in comparison to these ones. Anywho, today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' thank you so much for keeping my spirits up with your positive and detailed reviews, I really do apologise to you for keeping you waiting, hopefully, the next one will be out sooner :) **

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	18. Breaking the Ice

**A/N: Well, hello again, this is a very big surprise; I didn't actually think I'd be posting another chapter the **_**very next day**_** after the other one! However, it's the Easter holidays so I figured it's best to get as much done as possible. The sun is shining on-and-off, my parents have gone out to the pub for a couple of drinks and I'm at home doing this next chapter, I don't have much else to do, so I might as well do another one, haha! I got a Lady Gaga CD and some choccies! Dear God, more calories! Good thing I have a high-metabolism (which means I don't put on much weight no matter how much sweet stuff I eat). I am dedicating this chapter to; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki', thanks to her immense support and encouraging (and very detailed) reviews, I thought that I should put another one of these out ASAP for her as an Easter pressie. Of course, this is out for all of you guys as well, I'll have the next one up sometime this week, maybe tomorrow O.o haha! Anywho, have a great Easter!**

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**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Eighteen: Breaking the Ice **

It'd been a long mission, made even longer because Kakuzu's bounty was quick on his feet; we'd been giving him chase for over two days before cornering him in a back alley in a small town that I couldn't remember the name of.

Kakuzu was the one to corner him on the ground, making it look as though we'd split up and gone in separate directions to search for him, when in fact, I'd gone up on the building above, waiting for the moment he'd no doubt take where he could jump up onto the roof and make a quick escape.

I had a clone waiting around the corner of the alleyway, just in case he managed to get past Kakuzu and run away that way, it was a simple enough plan, this prey was very slippery; like a fish, he had fast reflexes and was a very good runner.

In the end he'd tried all ways possible to escape, he'd managed to dodge Kakuzu's attacks and jump over his shoulder, aiming to run off out of the alleyway and no doubt alert unwanted attention that the Akatsuki were in the area, however, before he could get out, my clone jumped in front of him, showing him no mercy as he continued to attack; relentless.

He'd barely had time to register dodging my clone's attacks, before he had to contend with Kakuzu as well.

Somehow, amidst the chaos, he'd managed to free himself from our grasp and ran along towards the end of the alleyway, my clone disappeared just before he climbed the wall, so that I knew which direction he was coming from, then he was there, upon the roof, I charged towards him and stabbed him with my triple-bladed scythe.

It was annoying that I couldn't use my ritual on the bounty, but Kakuzu was in no way wanting to play games with this one, he'd already given us the slip at least six times before we captured him...or well, I killed him.

I knew Jashin would not be best pleased by this, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I weren't so bothered about that, I just kept seeing those blue eyes, staring at me.

She was tormenting me, everything about her, her features, her voice, her smell-everything, I just can't stop thinking of her and I guess, because of that, it'd taken us longer to capture Kakuzu's bounty.

Why wouldn't she leave me alone?

I know I love her, I guess I always have, but what was the use in trying to coax her?

She already saw herself as a monster; unworthy of anyone else's presence, she hates herself and no matter how much I've tried or what I say, it does jackshit, I can't help her, it seems the more I try, the worse she becomes.

Why can't she ever see herself as Shinko and not a monster?

I don't give a flying fuck if she's a monster, I am too, I just killed a man that probably has a family or a kid out there somewhere to back too without a second thought, as if it meant nothing and it did, it meant nothing, his death was no concern to me, and Kakuzu always killed or used people for money, that's more than enough to agree that we're monsters.

But I don't care, this was what I was meant to do, spread the word of terror, spread the fear and hatred, corrupt the innocent by Jashin's name, this is what I've chosen to do and nothing's going to stop me.

I don't see why she should let herself care about it, I would rather be who I am than a colourless, obedient dog that follows _all_ the rules and has no freedom.

But, it's not her fault, I guess, she hasn't known anything else, other than those werewolves and her grandfather for no more than fifteen years, to be thrust out into a world that she weren't ready for must've been a shock to the system and I guess she's struggled to accept it, not only that, but she's grown-up, I remember Konan once saying that it's always harder for a woman to grow-up than it is for a man.

Despite the fact that women are mentally more mature than men, I guess they have to get their priorities straight, whether to fight as a Ninja, be an ordinary civilian and excel in a different career or be a housewife and raise kids.

Somehow, I couldn't see Shinko being a housewife, I just don't see that lifestyle suiting her, she's been fighting most of her life, I don't think the idea of children would change her mind anytime soon.

Then again, if Shinko were to become a mother, I know she'd struggle terribly with it, but once she's used to it, she'd be such a protective mother, she'd probably be the best mother out there!

It made my heart swell with pride; she'd still be every bit the 'monster' as she is now in ten years' time, she'd protect her offspring fiercely, and she'd raise them well and she'd be the perfect wife.

Gah! Why am I _thinking _of this shit?! There's no way she'd welcome anyone in, she's too scared of physical contact, and afraid that she'll hurt someone, no doubt she'd cry herself to sleep whilst carrying a child thinking she's dirty and that she doesn't deserve such a gift or responsibility.

Besides, who was I thinking to be the husband and father to her kids? Myself?

Hardly, for one thing I can't see us together with how things are turning out and for another, we're too young for kids, I so do _not_ want to change nappies at two in the morning whilst half-asleep, the mere thought of the smell is already turning my stomach.

But I do want her, fuck, how I want her, I wish she wouldn't keep pushing me away, I love her so fucking much, I don't think I've ever sounded so needy and unmanly, but it's true, I'm willing to accept it, why can't she?

Doesn't she think we'll be good together?

I'm pretty sure she feels the same way...right?

Okay, so I'll admit, I've never felt as vulnerable as I did when she was about to drain the life out of me, but-fuck it all! I'd rather be a Vampire like her if it meant being with her, I wouldn't care, I only want her, and I always get everything I want...eventually.

No matter what happens, I will have her, I love her and I'm not that dense to know that she has at least some feelings for me as well, this is my challenge, I'm not giving up now, not after how far we've come, I'm almost there, I just need to break down that wall she holds up around herself and get her to see that I'm no longer afraid of her, that I'll fight alongside her, I'll do almost _anything_ to keep her safe.

And I'll make sure she knows that I love her.

**/*\*/*\**

It'd taken them half a day to return after stopping at the collection office and receiving another seventy thousand pounds in cash, this seemed to satisfy Kakuzu, for he even treated them both to some dango to eat on the way back to the base, Hidan was very surprised by this, but didn't argue, despite the niggling urge to ask why he was being so...nice, it was very unlike Kakuzu to do that.

Apart from that, little was said between them on the way back, the weather weren't too bad, it remained cloudy all the way with a fresh breeze that wouldn't stop, but that didn't bother the men too much, both were thinking along the lines of the same thing.

Kakuzu knew something had happened between them, he knew Shinko was at breaking point, whilst Hidan was struggling with his own feelings, though Kakuzu knew that Hidan could sometimes be a little abrupt when it came to saying what he was feeling or what he thought.

However, the older man didn't doubt that Hidan would protect the girl and love her like she needed to be, he'd noticed the difference in the Jashinist, Hidan had actually been reflecting on his actions and words, of things that have happened between him and Shinko, Kakuzu didn't know whether it was a good thing or not, either way, it meant silence for him.

In fact, Hidan hadn't even complained at all during the mission, he'd acted like a real grown man should've and for that, Kakuzu had treated him to a sweet for being so tolerable during the mission, he felt he had to make it known that he appreciated Hidan's cooperation and silence more than he did his boasting and insults.

Kakuzu had left Hidan to his own thoughts, he knew that the younger man was thinking of a plan, if there was one thing Kakuzu knew Hidan never did, was giving up, he always went for what he wanted, no matter how tough, he'd always get his way in the end.

But after seeing Shinko in such a state, he doubted the image would ever leave his memory, it'd haunt him until the day he dies and he didn't plan on doing that for a long time yet.

Unable to take the silence any longer, no matter how comforting it was, Kakuzu had to make sure Hidan wouldn't do anything to encourage such behaviour from the girl in the future.

"Hidan..." he waited patiently to make sure the Jashinist could hear him and was paying attention to him.

The said man glanced up at the taller man in front, curious now as to why Kakuzu would speak to him now, after so long, he thought that Kakuzu preferred this to him talking, didn't he?

"Err...yeah? What's up?" No swear words added in this time and his voice seemed rather calm.

"The other day, back at the base, after you left the room, I went in and found Shinko in such a state...I know something happened between the two of you-" Hidan interrupted on a sigh "Let me guess, you wanna know what the fuck happened between me and Shinko, right?"

Kakuzu frowned beneath his mask, though that had been one of his thoughts, he _did _want to know what happened between them, but not now, what'd happened between them, stayed between them, despite his overprotective side demanding to know what'd happened to make Shinko breakdown like she'd done without showing any restraint, but he knew that if Hidan and Shinko are going to be together in the future he'd have to keep his nose out.

"No, I don't." His answer confused the albino into silence.

"I want to know your intentions, what are you planning to do with her now, because I don't want to ever see her in such a state like she was, I can tell it's been building up for a while now, but I'd never expected her to _cry_." Kakuzu glanced over his shoulder at the younger man, seeing the albino frowning as well, he waited for the usual onslaught of curses and insults to come his way, however, after a few more minutes silence, they never came his way, which was _very _unlike Hidan, which meant he was actually in a serious mood, he was actually _thinking_.

Hidan ran a hand through his hair, sighing impatiently, he growled "Fuck, I don't know, I thought I did, I didn't mean to make her cry, I mean, I just want her to stop pushing me away, it's fucking annoying, I can't help her if she won't let me help her-" Kakuzu cut Hidan off, muttering "Maybe that's because she's used to doing things on her own, think about it Hidan, we don't know much of her life _before _she joined us, my guess is that her grandfather left her to her own devices, he strove to make her independent, and when she had to leave him, she probably realised that no one would baby her just because she's young and inexperienced."

Hidan shrugged a little, though remained silent, his eyes gazing at the floor before him, not wanting to look into Kakuzu's soul-searching eyes, it was as if those eyes can tell what you're thinking with a glance, which was one of the things he felt creeped out by the older man.

"Well, whatever you're planning to do, just don't upset her that she ends up in such a state as she did the other, I had to hold her down whilst Konan sedated her." Kakuzu grumbled as he almost sighed in relief at the sight of the forest ahead of them that would led them directly to the base in the mountain.

**/*\*/*\**

Once they'd entered the base, there weren't any sign of movement or sound around the base, which was rather unusual at that time of the evening, dinner would no doubt be served within thirty minutes, it made them a little uneasy at how there didn't seem to be anyone about, usually Itachi would be found reading in the lounge room, but as they passed it, the room was dark and the TV was switched off.

Passing by the kitchen, Konan weren't even there cooking, everything remained cleaned, albeit a couple of dirty glasses in the sink and a wrapper of some sort of chocolate bar was left idly on the table, the culprit most likely being too lazy to place it in the bin no further than a few foot away from the table itself.

Hidan raised an eyebrow at this, it was too quiet for his liking, something was definitely going on and he had a feeling he might not like it.

Instead of stopping off at anyone's rooms to find out what'd happened or where everyone was, Kakuzu led the way to Pein's office, Hidan followed silently behind him, though that didn't stop the questions from racing through his mind.

He'd been so looking forward to dinner and a hot bath, but it looked as though dinner was going have to wait, that's if they're having any at all, one thing Hidan disliked more than anything in the entire world was cooking.

It was so tedious, he wasn't sexist or anything, but he did think women were better at it than men, especially Konan, hell, he'd even settle for Shinko's rather bad attempts at cooking, though it weren't her fault, she didn't need food to live, so she couldn't taste what she'd made.

Where was Shinko anyway? What about the others?

His thoughts were cut off the moment they entered Pein's office, he hadn't even been aware of Pein calling to them, signalling them to enter, since his thoughts had been almost as loud as someone else talking to him.

Leader's always remained dark, this always stumped Hidan, he could never understand what went on in the orange haired man's head, he weren't too sure he wanted to know, he seemed more twisted than most of the men here and that was saying something!

However, it was with some relief to find that at least someone was inhabiting the base, it made it seem less like a ghost town, Pein as usual was looking through some paperwork, however, there were only a couple of sheets left on his desk, it seemed that he was almost finished for the day, but that weren't what caught their eyes.

Pein was dressed in a tuxedo, he actually looked smart and tidy, this was no doubt the closest thing he'd ever look to being human.

Hidan couldn't prevent the words that flew out of his mouth, no matter what "What in Jashin's name are you fucking wearing?!"

Kakuzu's eyes almost fell out at the sound of Hidan's incredulous voice, sounding very similar to a petulant child that didn't know jackshit, though Kakuzu couldn't help but smile a little at that, Hidan still had his humorous moments and in a way it was good to see that he was slowly returning to normal, however, Kakuzu prayed desperately at the back of his mind that Hidan wouldn't be so loud this time round and Kakuzu was _not _a religious man by nature, he was proud to state that he's an atheist-especially in front of Hidan.

Pein sent a glare at Hidan, silencing him, then as if sensing Kakuzu smiling beneath his mask, Pein looked at him as well with the same glare set in place, before stating "The entire base has been invited to a ball on the borders of the Tea country, we've been requested to go there, this'll give us the perfect opportunity to see about making deals with other clan leaders, we need all the money we can get for now, this is towards our goals of course."

Pein threw that last bit in to keep Hidan from commenting on how disgusting it is, that didn't stop the flash of anger from entering Hidan's eyes, ignoring this, Kakuzu placed swiftly placed the briefcase of money upon the desk, presenting it to Pein as he would with a prized possession.

Their Leader looked very satisfied, his nod confirmed this along with his eyes softening, murmuring "I see your little side-trip did not go in vain, well done, now both of you go and freshen yourselves, I have taken the liberty to placing your suits in your rooms myself, their according to your measurements, you _will _wear them and no alterations are to be made-" he shot a dirty look at Hidan, whom grumbled in response.

Kakuzu merely nodded, though detested the idea of wearing a posh tuxedo as much as the albino did.

"We leave in two hours, make sure you're ready for then." Pein signalled that they were dismissed with the flick of his hand, before refocusing his gaze on his paperwork, Kakuzu took the briefcase, knowing he'd have to count put that with the rest of the money and count how much was available and how much more they need, this would then be put into graphs and then a report needed to be filed out to Pein so that he could decide what the next best course of action should be.

Both bowed briefly before exiting the dimly lit office, heading back off to their own rooms.

Hidan briefly wondered if Shinko was going, if she was, he knew he couldn't wait to see her dressed up, but first, he must pray, wash, dress and then hopefully talk to her before they left, he didn't want any tension between them, he wanted to relax and have fun for a change.

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**A/N: Well there you have it, another chappie done. Fucking hell, my left forearm and thumb is hurting like murder! Goes to show how much typing done, haha! This was kinda a filler chapter, but I decided it would be best to know what Hidan and Kakuzu have been up to instead of briefly saying "oh yeah, they went on a mission to capture a bounty and they succeeded by trapping him in alleyway." Sure, there's a great plot right there -.- Anyway, today I'm shouting a BIG thank you to; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' for the wonderful review! Chocolate for her! **

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	19. Beauty and her Lover

**A/N: Welcome once more to another fulfilling chapter, this is **_**the**_** one that you've all been waiting for, it's HERE!! After **_**so**_** fucking long, it's here! I'm very happy and excited to learn what you guys think of this one, please enjoy!**

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**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Nineteen: Beauty and her Lover**

Having left the dark office was something short of relief for Hidan, he hated talking with Leader, they didn't see eye-to-eye in a lot of things, they both had different goals, Pein was all about trying to control the world, where as Hidan merely wanted to bring hatred and terror to the world in Jashin's name, that was definitely signalling the difference in opinion and goal.

Though they'd never had an actual dispute, there were always certain things said that Hidan complained about or rolled his eyes at, Hidan hated money, full-stop.

Of course it was useful, but he absolutely loathed anyone that was obsessed with the stuff, this being mainly aimed at Kakuzu.

It was just a matter of opinion, people think differently about most things and their views on a topic or situation won't always be to everyone's liking, many often argue against his ideas and opinions, making Hidan seem as though he were thick, he hated it when others always did that, just because he's violent, loud and curses a lot, doesn't mean he doesn't have a brain with which he can think coherent and interesting thoughts and arguments.

Nevertheless he wouldn't have been able to get so far without Akatsuki's 'protection', even Hidan had to admit that he wouldn't have done so well if it weren't for Kakuzu's need for long trips to go on bounty hunts, although this annoyed him like hell, it certainly gave him the opportunity to find more victims, then there was Shinko, she hungered for blood, she was so violent and loved to torture her victims as much as he did, she was the perfect girl for him.

He only needed to prove it to her.

The corridors were so quiet, there was no sign or sound of life, and it was as if the base was uninhabited, the many rooms leading off from the corridor were dark or locked up, it seemed to be too quiet, especially when knowing that _all_ of the members were in the same base, including; Deidara and Tobi, it defied all logic that they were being so silent.

No doubt they were all shut away in their rooms getting ready for the ball, oh how Hidan hated parties, especially _fancy_ parties, he'd rather go out and have a drink with a close friend than be invited to some fucked up disco that'd no doubt have prostitutes lining up selling their sexually infected bodies to the highest bidder, the alcohol would be cheap and nasty-which summed up Kakuzu well enough and the music would be loud, the bass thumping that it'd give him a headache and a mass of sweaty and barely clad bodies would be grinding themselves against the other in hopes to either impress or just to have a good time.

It was just too much for him to stomach.

The small gas-lamps were dimmed, they were placed all along the corridors, it was rather annoying that they remained quite dark, it was really hard to walk out and grab a drink from the kitchen in the middle of the night whilst they tripped over their own feet because they could barely see anything around them.

But once again this had been all Kakuzu's idea, to keep costs down, in a way it was a good idea, since most of the time the members were away a lot, rarely spending so much time at the base, there was little point in paying for a full electricity bill when hardly anyone was actually using it.

However, it was alright for Shinko, she could see in the dark and Itachi could easily detect anything that has chakra with those fucked up eyes of his, which means he can avoid anyone, where as everyone else is left to struggle through the barely lit corridors.

It was just one of many things that Hidan had complained about in the past, but after the argument went on deaf ears, he gave up, no one else seemed to care so much, probably because most of them didn't get up in the night thirsty or coming back from a mission stone-cold drunk, instead, he sometimes made comments about how things piss him off, especially around Pein and Kakuzu, those two were always talking about money and how to cut down, it pissed the Jashinist off to no end.

They clearly only cared about their sense of right and wrong, everyone else's insight was worth jackshit in comparison.

"I hope you're not going to sulk all night, Hidan, I for one am _not_ going to be enjoying myself, that doesn't mean I'll make a spectacle of myself." Kakuzu's gruff voice broke the eerie silence that had Hidan in a thoughtful mood; this of course hadn't gone unnoticed by his partner, Hidan _was_ sulking, but not so much about the ball-even though he really disliked the thought of being around so many rich snobs, it was many things, the one thing that was stuck on his mind was what he was going to say to Shinko.

They hadn't spoken since he'd visited her in the Medical room around four days before, it weren't so much about telling her his feelings, it was seeing he again that made him surprisingly nervous, he pretty much knew what he was going to say and sort of what order it should go in, he just hoped she would listen, he didn't want her to ignore him, or worse..._reject him._

Hidan stopped walking in the corridor and stood there, staring at the dark floor that his magenta eyes could barely discern amidst the dimly lit lights and shadows clinging to every narrow corner and stretched surface.

Was it best to tell her now when she's possibly still upset with him?

He knew he had to tell her soon, it was the best thing for the both of them, and they'd both been ignoring the signs and any conversation relating to their feelings, he had to tell her, before the ball, he wanted everything to go smoothly, he wanted to relax at the party, not be all tense and worrying over how she'll act towards him.

For one thing he'd never felt this uncomfortable and nervous in his whole fucking life, even when he'd converted to Jashin for the first time, he weren't a third as nervous then as he was now.

But then that was expected when one was risking their pride, their reputation and their _heart_.

Hopefully she'd see that he was risking everything he'd worked so hard to keep locked away from others and instead allowing her the _one_ chance to let him open himself up and be _himself_ around her and say 'sod off' to all the consequences.

"Hidan?"

The said man looked up from the floor to his partner, Kakuzu had actually stopped ahead of him, half-turned to face him, he looked a rather confused and was that a hint of concern he could see there in his eyes?

Either way he weren't too surprised by that admission, Hidan hadn't answered him earlier and had been so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear anything else the money-slut had to say, if anything Hidan was _never_ silent, and here he was being silent again, and not just for an hour, but he'd been fucking subdued for the entire day!

Surely Kakuzu didn't need to ask what was wrong with him?

Hidan blinked, realising he'd been staring past Kakuzu's head, he still hadn't answered him, he quickly did so before Kakuzu got angry, one thing he really didn't need to worry about was his partner getting his knickers in a twist simply because he was 'ignoring' him.

"Err...yeah?"

Hidan mentally snorted to himself, he wouldn't be able to ignore Kakuzu for the life of him, the bloody idiot was a good foot taller than him, that and he stuck out like an eye-sore with that fucking outrageous mask and tan skin of his and did he happen to mention those creepy eyes that made him shiver in disgust as if he'd been violated by just his stare alone?

"Forget it, just remember not to be such an arse, besides we're here," Hidan blinked once more and looked to his left, Kakuzu was right, they were already at their personal quarters, no doubt where Shinko was and Hidan felt a massive lump settle in his throat, his swallowed a couple of times, but it still didn't get rid of the nerves or that uneasy feeling settling in his stomach, making him feel as though he were either going to pass out or be sick at any given moment.

Hidan had never passed out before and he weren't planning on doing so now.

"Good luck." Kakuzu mumbled to the albino as he opened the door to the 'living area'.

Hidan quickly followed in after him, determined to talk to Shinko as soon as possible, he knew it was the right thing to do, however, nothing had prepared him for the sight before him as he stepped into the room.

Of course Shinko was there, but by Jashin was she beautiful!

She was sat on the worn sofa, reading through a book she'd no doubt read at least four times over, her long white hair looked wavy and two sapphire clips were placed in each side of her hair, above her ear, pulling some of the silky strands away from her face, she wore a plain deep blue dress that had two straps coming over her shoulders to hold it in place, the dress stopped a little below her knees, there was some sort of netting for a petticoat beneath and on her feet she wore black high heel shoes.

Jewellery was simple on her also, she wore a pair of silver studs in her ears and a flimsy silver bracelet on her right wrist, he knew instinctively that her make-up had been done by Konan, she wore the exact same shades of eye shadow that Konan wore, except not so thick and she carried it off more nicely than Konan ever could.

She was truly a magnificent beauty, the dress was the right shade for her and it fit nicely around her body, not too clingy and yet, not loose, she looked very comfortable and despite not wearing anything too fancy, he still thought she looked like a Goddess.

He blinked to refocus his gaze on something else, wanting to not seem rude by staring at her, but when he looked at Kakuzu he felt something akin to jealously and annoyance when he realised that the older man was staring at Shinko in awe, pretty much as he had been a few moments before.

It was as if she'd sensed the hostility radiating off of Hidan's body in waves like an ocean that she glanced up at them both, a small smile settling over her features, making her look more enchanting, she murmured "Welcome back."

Hidan knew she'd known of their arrival the moment they'd stepped into the base, though she chose to ignore it and she'd appeared as though she were totally innocent, having not known they were back until she'd looked up from her book, which Hidan noticed was the one he'd read to her the week before she'd fallen asleep.

Naturally Kakuzu was the first to break the silence, as Hidan shut the door behind himself, he watched with narrowed eyes as Kakuzu walked up to Shinko, staring down at her from his monstrous height, he muttered "How are you feeling?"

The Dhampir smiled again and nodded her head in reply, murmuring "Much better now, thank you," her gaze rested on Hidan, the smile remaining though her eyes changed to that of warmth, as though she looked happy to see him, placing the book down upon her lap, she asked "How was your trip?"

Shinko knew from experience to ask Hidan about the duo's trips whenever they went on missions without her, he would be more open to talking about it than Kakuzu, and Hidan made it more humorous by his dramatic hand gestures and how he seemed so passionate in replaying the story to her out loud, albeit with some curses here and there, he always made stories sound more fun than the standard 'we completed it; simple'.

Kakuzu smirked beneath his mask at Hidan's surprised face, before excusing himself to go for a bath, wanting to freshen himself up before they left, the other two hardly noticed his departure and instead took to staring at each other from across the room silently.

Even through the dimly lit room, Shinko could make out how tired Hidan looked, no doubt he'd worried about her reaction to seeing him again as she'd done, oh what a vicious circle they'd been running around in for such a long, _long_ time.

Isn't it about time to break that habit?

Hidan took a deep breath, it was now or never...

"Shinko, I _need_ to talk to you-" before he could finish, she calmly interrupted and stated "About us."

He nodded, glad she understood where he was coming from, it'd save a lot of explaining in the long-run, but part of him was relieved to know that she'd noticed something had been growing between them in the last few weeks, something out of their control.

"I know things haven't been so great between us for the past few days, and every time we seem to get close to each other something fucks it up, I don't care what the others think, I don't care that I sound like a fucking pussy right now, but..." Hidan paused before rushing over to sit down next to her on the sofa, taking her hands in his; he squeezed them tightly, his heart beating so fast, he felt as though it'd break itself out from within his ribcage.

If ever there was a time to be a true gentleman, _now_ was that time.

"I love you Shinko," he exhaled deeply and waited for a response, but only noticed her eyes shining up at him, he had the worry that she was going to cry, he really did dislike it when females cried and he knew that he just couldn't fathom seeing Shinko cry, she was supposed to be strong, it hurt him deep down knowing that she was possibly upset, but he continued on anyway, "I guess I've loved you for a long time, it just took me a while to notice it, but when we had that fucking argument the other day, I just felt so fucking helpless, I wanted to do something, but you keep pushing me away, I don't want to be pushed away anymore, I want us to be able to talk to each other about _anything_, I only want you and this'll be the only time you'll hear me sound like a fucking weakling."

This made Shinko laugh, the light sound soothed him, easing his nerves and for the first time in four days; he smiled.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me feel hearing you say that, I've struggled to accept help from others in the past because I didn't want to burden them, I thought I could do it on my own, but I can't...not anymore, all I can think about is how selfish I am to want to be with you despite everything that's happened and will happen, but I can't help it, I've never been in love before-"

"So you _do_ love me?" Hidan asked, a huge grin on his face, he looked so relieved, and Shinko knew that she'd been correct in assuming that he'd been more than worried about her reaction to his words, though she admired him greatly for taking the initiative first, either way, the both felt the same, except he got to say how he felt first, which she knew meant more to him than anyone else would ever know.

"Of course I do, I guess it's so painfully obvious, I tried not to at first, but after a while, I felt miserable without your company and your humour, it just brightens my day having you near me-" Shinko was cut off as Hidan released her hands, his own hands placed upon her cheeks, cupping them, he stared deeply into her now coal-black eyes and placed his lips down upon hers in a tender kiss.

Shinko's eyes widened a fraction, feeling something stir in the pit of her stomach, all coherent thought left her mind, realising that this was her _first kiss_; she couldn't believe that she was finally kissing Hidan!

If it was a year back in the past, she would never have believed that Hidan would be her first love, but now she knew she wouldn't have it any other way or with anyone else, this was perfect, although she had those tingles running along her spine that made her feel extremely good, she felt comfortable and safe, she didn't worry that she was making a terrible mistake, it just felt so right, how can anyone doubt something that felt so right?

His lips moved from hers and across her jaw, his hands moving lower and settling around her waist, her own arms lifted up and encircled his neck, pulling him closer to her body, she'd hugged him a few times before, but she really wanted to feel him again, she felt so snug against him, as if the world couldn't touch her so long as she remained in his embrace, it was as if they were made for each other, which is _so_ cliché but she could hardly care at a moment like this, they were together, that's all that counts.

For a few more minutes they remained in each other's embrace, holding themselves tightly to one another, as if afraid that once they let go, they'll disappear or wake up thinking that it was all a dream.

"I take it I don't have to fucking ask if you'll be my partner for the ball?" Hidan murmured in her ear, sending shivers down her spine at his warm breath, if her heart were beating she would've been blushing, she squirmed a little, realising he was doing it on purpose when he rested his head on her neck, smirking.

"You don't have too, but it would be nice." Shinko resisted a moan when he began licking her neck, feeling that wonderful yet heavy sensation in her stomach, she squirmed even more, earning a throaty laugh from the male albino, he pulled back a little, his eyes twinkling at her in amusement, she resisted the urge to pout and almost relished in her pride when he asked "Shinko, will you be my partner at the atheist pansy-arsed ball tonight and every other bloody night?"

She giggled and replied with a nod "Yes, but don't expect me to turn up to the other ones, I'm not too keen on wearing dresses, I only own two."

He make a fake gasp that sounded very much like Deidara in his feminine moments, pulling a frown he took his arms from her and folding them across his almost bare chest, he sniffed "Fine, I'll just ask Kakuzu to be my partner, I'm sure he won't mind wearing a dress."

She knew he was joking and she knew there was no hope in hell of Hidan _ever_ sinking that low to ask Kakuzu for anything of the sort.

"I'm sure he would and that is quite a disturbing image." Shinko smiled painfully at the mental image of Kakuzu in a billowing, pink ball gown, wearing bright coloured ribbons in his usually messy, dark hair, his face adorned in thick make-up that wouldn't help his complexion by any, his evil, miscoloured eyes would glare at any bachelor from even daring to think of asking him to a dance and his masculine build covered in stitches and scars would definitely ruin any attempt at feminism and don't even get started on the stilettos that Hidan would _force_ poor Kakuzu to wear.

'Poor Kakuzu' indeed, but she knew the older man would get his revenge when it came to dancing and even that was even more disturbing.

"All joking aside, I want to know what you think of my plan," she raised an eyebrow in curiosity but gave him a nod to continue, and he did "I'm going to ask Leader if he can give us some time off from missions and go to visit your grandfather...I want to do this fucking right, no more slip-ups this time, I want to ask for his blessing."

Her face was in shock and her body held still, for a moment she looked rather strained sat as she was with a dead straight back, just staring at Hidan as if he'd just stated he was pregnant with their child-which would be very weird indeed since they hadn't had sex and Hidan was a male...or was he?

"Tadashii...you want my grandfather's blessing...for us? Are you hinting at what I think you're hinting at?" A big smile slowly surfaced upon her face, not only at the mention of seeing her grandfather for the first time in years, but also because she loved where this was going.

Hidan smiled down at her beautiful face and muttered "Yes, I believe you do, Shinko, I want you to fucking marry me."

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**A/N: ...and you'll have to wait for the next chappie to find out what Shinko's answer is, though it is so painfully obvious, haha, I'm so mean cutting it off there! But I've already exceeded the usual 3,000+ word count (soon I'll be at 4,000!) I do NOT care if this was perhaps OCC, I don't give a fucking shit, it's MY story, so they'll act as I want them too, besides, I think it's about time we have some fluff in there, don't you? They've both been chasing each other and hoping to read each other right for a long time, it's about time they admitted their feelings. But I'm glad I held it out this long, I didn't want to rush into the lovey-dovey part-I wanted to make it realistic :)**

**Anywho, today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you too; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' and (a new reader to the story) 'CaitlinXcowz' for their supportive reviews :D **

**There isn't long to go before the ending now, haha, I'm actually feeling a little sad at that prospect T_T**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	20. Monster's Ball

**A/N: Hi everyone! I know it's been a ridiculously long time since I've updated, but I just couldn't get myself motivated to type anymore since my dad was rushed into hospital and hasn't been well since, then my best friends' dad died a month or so back, then there was the funeral and I was also in the middle of my final project so I had no time to do any typing on stories. However, my final project is completed and I've finished college, but my dad is still unwell and he's gotta go for an operation in the next week or so. As for my best friends' dads funeral, it was rather emotional and I went to his wake (where you see them in the coffin normally a day or two before the funeral) it affected me terribly. I want to apologise, I know that excuses are not what you want to hear, but it's just tough, you'll have to get over it. Anywho, happy reading!**

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**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Twenty: Monster's Ball**

Hidan's hand squeezed Shinko's as they walked through the stone marble corridors that looked very similar to a palace, he would've let out a low whistle if he weren't in the company of the whole organization, it was _huge_ and so clean, there'd be no chance of Kakuzu stealing anything from here unnoticed, that made the Jashinist smirk, since the look on Kakuzu's face was priceless.

He knew this because the miser had to remove his head coverings-much to the older man's annoyance, Hidan wasn't bothered by this, he'd seen Kakuzu's face many times and had thought he was fucking ugly as hell, he weren't at all surprised why he covered his face, despite the miser stating that it was so that his opponents wouldn't catch on to his type of jutsu during battle.

Hidan snorted faintly to himself at the memory, he knew that it was just an excuse; however, he was more than shocked when Shinko told Kakuzu that she thought he was very good-looking and that his stitches and scars were proof enough of how many battles he's been in and that he'd survived them.

The fucking miser's eyes had shone like bloody diamonds at the unusual compliment which made Hidan gag and seethe in jealousy, for he knew that Shinko wouldn't say things just to make anyone feel better, she only ever spoke her mind which was possibly always the truth.

Still, Hidan was the one holding the Dhampir's hand-_no one else_ and as long as he's around no one else ever will.

He had to crush his own ego and pride in order to get the girl he wanted and there was no way in hell he'd let her go now, if any of the others so much as gave her a lustful look he'd gouge their eyeballs out of their sockets with a spoon.

Shinko had felt the tension radiating off of her boyfriend, she could tell just by looking at him in the face and see his jaw clenching as he glared at the back of Kakuzu's head, as much as she didn't wish to do it now, she read his mind and weren't too sure what to make of his sudden possessiveness, of course she still loved him, it was just a surprise that he was so defensive of her.

She let a small smile grace her lips as she squeezed his hand back in reassurance and murmured "You have nothing to worry about; I only want to be with you."

His hardened features softened as his head snapped round to look at her, he looked as though he'd been caught looking through some woman's underwear drawer and she could tell he'd put two-and-two together and knew she'd read his mind, he didn't look angry about it, just rather embarrassed that he'd let himself get so carried away.

Shinko was more than shocked to see a small pink tint hit his cheeks, he merely nodded his head and looked away from her, though no one else saw since they were at the back of the crowd, she had seen it and would keep the image locked away in her memory if ever in dark times.

It would be a beacon to beckon her into action.

As they all walked closer, the sound of music from wooden instruments, chatter and laughter from the many rich guests came from down the hall, ahead of them, if anything it made the still silent men tenser.

Light filtered everywhere, leaving no place unlit, as if the very plain walls and tiled floor were on display, looking over at Kakuzu, Shinko knew the older man would have a fit if he took a glance at their electricity bill, though she had to admit, if the owner of such a gigantic palace with vast amounts of space in each room could afford to keep the place, then she was certain the minor technicality of paying for an electricity bill wouldn't bother him.

It was upon entering the ballroom that they all paused in walking, surprise, annoyance and just plain interest surfaced on their faces at all the colourful gowns, the rows of tables adorned with a banquet fit for a whole village rather than these rich snobs, everything was bright and the music was cheerful, many of the guests were dancing or seated at the tables chattering away to another whilst nibbling on some of the food.

It was everything that the Akatsuki despised; cheerfulness, colour and fun.

Their worlds were clouded and dark, seeing all this made something within them bubble and boil away, despite being enchanted by the scene, it made them all too aware that they didn't belong in it even more, so many beautiful women with painted red lips and large breasts that were barely covered made Konan and Shinko look down at themselves and feel out of place.

It was in these moments that the two girls wished they'd made more of an effort with their gowns.

Although Shinko was adorned in a shade of blue that suited her perfectly, Konan was wearing a strapless bronze-coloured gown that enhanced the colour of her eyes, it was also a personal favourite of Pein's that she wore it, her hair was left to hang down her back, but still had the usual paper rose tied in the side of her head, though this one was the colour of gold.

She also wore gold high heels, gold ankle bracelet and earrings that Pein had bought her for her last birthday, she'd been looking for such an occasion to wear them and show them off since they weren't cheap, but she didn't mind how much they cost him, she loved them.

It's the thought that counts.

During this mild interlude, Pein turned round to the others, making sure no one overheard him apart from his comrades, he began instructing them what and what _not_ to do.

"Kakuzu, you will come with myself and Konan to meet the man that invited us here, he's very rich and we need to discuss with him what he wants to hire us for, everyone else will be discreet, which means no getting drunk," Leader looks at Kisame, whom grins in sheepishly in return, since it was well-known that Kisame couldn't hold his drink very well.

"No belching." This time Pein looks at Tobi whom whimpers slightly and shifts uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze and slowly cowers away behind Zetsu.

"No rude comments." He glares at Deidara, Sasori and Hidan whom all take to whistling and pretending to be interested in something shiny-well, at least Hidan did.

"No bad language." Pein sent another glare aimed directly at Hidan, knowing that no matter whether he said it or not, the Jashinist _always _attracted attention, whether it was with his mouth or by his actions which usually involved blood and rituals and stabbing oneself.

Yeah, that'd sit _really well_ with the other guests.

"No feeding on the guests-" Both Shinko and Zetsu's two halves groan in protest because everyone else would get the chance to eat _something_ and they were the only two that had to starve; it more than sucked, though they immediately grumbled and looked away from Leader when he growled at them in anger for interrupting him mid-sentence.

"And definitely _no_ sulking." Surprisingly it was Itachi's turn to under the limelight, and no one seemed that surprised about it, because Itachi was always quiet, no one really knew what he did to entertain himself during the day, they'd only ever seen him read a couple of times, apart from that he was always so quiet he just blended in with the wallpaper and was forgotten, he also never smiled.

Though Deidara made it a point to smirk at the Uchiha's misery, not that Itachi noticed, he took to staring at the walls with hinted interest, as if he'd never heard Pein's order to begin with.

Just as Pein turned, he sent another hard stare at Kakuzu "Oh, don't try and steal from anyone here, they're more than likely to notice."

Kakuzu let out a small 'humph' from his lips, his eyes narrowing in anger and almost detached his arm and ripped Hidan's head off when the albino began snickering loudly as if he couldn't hear him.

"Have _fun_."

Leader turned away with Kakuzu and Konan following after him in silence and then the others slowly dispatched themselves amongst the room, none of them wanting to be in each other's company another minute.

Zetsu and Tobi went off to the buffet to inspect what was edible, Sasori made sure that Kisame only stuck to juice and no alcoholic drink whilst they chatted away about men stuff and missions, Deidara swiftly went over to the prettiest ladies and began flirting outrageously with them-though they didn't seem to mind since it was all harmless fun and played along, Itachi took himself off to sit down somewhere preferably quiet, though ended up asking a young woman to dance that looked lonely and was rather timid-he was just glad she didn't yap away.

Hidan and Shinko remained stood where they were, both uncertain of what to do now, Shinko fed earlier and had nothing to occupy her tastes with the feast, whereas Hidan hadn't eaten anything yet, it was either that or dancing, although Shinko didn't mind dancing, it wasn't one of her favourite past-times and she weren't even sure if Hidan _could_ dance...more like break-dance...

"Fuck me-I'm starving!" Hidan made it a point to keep his voice down, though his statement was emphasised with a rumble from his stomach, though it was doubtful anyone other than Shinko heard it with her sensitive hearing amidst all of the music and chatter.

Nodding to the table spread with food that she knew all human's loved, she replied "I'll come with you."

They walked off hand-in-hand to the table, making sure not to go near Tobi and Zetsu, those two were the epitome of weirdness and Hidan was most certain they were gay; they did seem to spend a _lot_ of time around each other...a lot more than necessary.

Hidan was quite surprised at how easy it was being Shinko like he was, he thought it'd be a case of nerves getting the better of him, but he felt calm and like he could be himself around her and she wouldn't judge him harshly, she understood him and most of his thoughts.

They both sat down at a separate two-seated table away from most other people, preferring to be alone, rather than amongst those ear wagging heathens, Hidan carried a plate stacked with a mountain of food, usually he didn't bother with so much food, but tonight he was starving, he'd barely eaten on his last mission with Kakuzu, the food had been cheap and nasty, whereas now he had the chance to replenish himself, though he did feel slightly uncomfortable by this and was surprised beyond words when Shinko took a slice of what looked like pizza and nibbled on it.

"It would strange if the others saw you eating all this and I have nothing," she reasoned with him, though he knew she didn't enjoy eating the human food, he could tell by the slight twitches around her nose which she refused to scrunch up at the taste and smell.

His hand met hers on the table after he'd eaten a rice ball, holding her gaze with his, he muttered "Seriously Shinko, you don't have to force yourself to eat something, I know you fucking hate normal food, so stop bloody torturing yourself and relax."

Shinko had wanted to agree with him, but she didn't want to look out of place or suspicious to the other guests, usually she wouldn't have given a damn because of what she was, but she also didn't want to broadcast it around the world, she'd already had enough to worry about with the 'Youchi' clan, awaiting their next move and also not to entice bounty hunters, although she knew Kakuzu would be damned if he allowed so much as another bounty touch any of the Akatsuki, she couldn't help but be that extra-careful.

Eventually she gave a small nod, putting the pizza down, she felt grateful that he understood her pain and didn't allow her to sit there in silence and suffer needlessly.

There was some silence among them as Hidan ate and Shinko watched the other guests dancing, her eyes briefly catching onto each member, apart from Pein, Konan and Kakuzu, they seemed to have disappeared.

"Hey, erm...Shinko?"

The Dhampir turned and stared at Hidan with a small smile and asked "What is it?"

He looked rather uncomfortable for a moment, he even scratched the back of his neck which obviously indicated nervousness, before he replied "About the marriage-thing, you don't have to give me an answer right now, I just wanted to make it clear of my intentions, I mean-fuck! I sprung that on you out of nowhere and we haven't even been on a date yet!"

He gave her a pained grin, though she knew he was trying to keep himself together for fear of being rejected, especially after she'd asked him if she could have some time to think the whole idea over, although she knew in her mind and heart that she would love to marry Hidan, she also didn't know him well enough yet, she felt they needed to spend some quality time together as a couple before they even thought of wedding bells.

He seemed to understand, but his biggest fear was rejection, this had surprised her since she was almost certain that Hidan had never worried about something as trivial as that before now, it was something that Shinko had worried about for a long time before she'd finally accepted her feelings for him and they'd started dating.

Shinko gave him a smile reserved just for him, her hand finding his, she stroked it soothingly and answered "I understand, to be honest, I want to marry you, I really do, however, I think we need to spend more time together as a couple first, you don't need to fear love Hidan, I won't reject you within the next day or so-even if you do something stupid or say something rude, _real_ couples stick together and work through their problems and enjoy seeing their other half; that's what you are, my other half, if we hadn't come together as we have done, I don't think I would've been here with you like this."

Her smile had gone, in place was a serious expression that gave away no lies, she was being honest and the way she'd hinted at taking her own life with that serious expression of hers made something inside him shiver then burn, his other hand went out and stroked her cheek softly, caressing it, seeing her eyes fall shut at the gentle touch, he knew that he wouldn't allow this beautiful creature to think of such dark thoughts as though she were really going to go through with them ever again.

This was a new start, for the both of them.

Hidan had finished eating and spent the next half an hour making small talk with Shinko, whilst he too watched many of the guests dancing, gowns twirling, laughter carrying off around the room in a hurricane of music and chatter.

Glancing at his girl from across the table, Hidan felt a little bad, he knew that Shinko deserved a greater man than him, she deserved to have the best things life had to offer, and instead she was in a criminal organization and would eventually be married to a religious zealot with a quick temper and cursing mouth that would make a sailor blush.

He shook this thought off and decided to do something...nice for once, standing up, he offered his hand to her, she blinked and looked up at him confused for a moment, he gave her a warm smile-despite feeling incredibly nervous on the inside at the prospect of dancing though decided he didn't care if he looked like a twat in front of everyone else, he was doing it for Shinko, besides it'd seem unlikely that they'd get a chance to dance together like this for a long time, his eyes twinkled with humour as he asked "Wanna dance?"

To say she was surprised would be an understatement, she had a feeling that Hidan couldn't dance and knew he was only doing it for her-but she was pleasantly pleased with this, she knew deep-down he could be a gentleman, she loved that he only showed this side to her alone.

Was he willing to show himself up that much in order to make her happy?

The thought made her smile, placing her hand in his, he helped her to her feet-despite not needing his assistance, she replied dramatically "I thought you'd _never_ ask!"

Though there was some truth beneath it, they both knew it was a joke and he chuckled in response, before pulling her towards him, they went onto the floor and he pulled her close as a slow song started to play, she rested her head in the crook of his neck, ignoring the tempting blood rushing through his veins, the thumping of his heart that brought out a totally different beat to the slow, calm music.

Many danced around them, ignored by all as they swayed to the music as one.

From the corner of her eyes she could see Itachi and the girl he'd been with most of the evening dancing together silently, she'd even seen Pein and Konan at one point at the far-end of the room, though that was only a glimpse, for they were gone when she'd blinked, she'd even noticed Tobi swaying in his seat to the music, Zetsu sat next to him looking very stoic; probably trying to ignore the usually hyper nut.

Everything and everyone was tuned out, breathing in, she let out a content sigh, feeling his head lean against hers, she linked her arms around his waist and closed her eyes for a little while, loving this warm feeling that filled her stomach that almost made her toes curl in her shoes, she would've blushed at how close they were to each other and that everyone in the Akatsuki had surely noticed their loose inhibitions around each other and would no doubt have many comments and questions aimed at them, but otherwise couldn't since she weren't technically alive.

Though Kisame, Kakuzu, Konan and Pein had been more than relieved when they'd noticed how close they'd gotten to each other, they knew the two immortals had taken a ridiculously long amount of time to get together, it had been such a whirlwind of events and emotions, it was almost too much to take in sometimes at how far they've come.

However, nothing lasts forever and this was proved the moment Shinko opened her eyes to peer around the room, only t catch a pair of bright blue ones-much like hers usually were in the dark and when she uses considerable amounts of power staring back at her from across the room.

It was a man with loose black hair that hung around his shoulders and dressed in all black, in the type of armour Tadashii had once spoken of the ancient Vampire's wearing in company and battle-much like he'd done before he'd reclined to solidarity and living in peace amongst nature instead of remaining violent.

He was leaning against a pillar, staring directly at _her_, she saw his faint smirk on his lips, his arms crossed over his chest muscled chest, his height matched that of Kisame's which made his presence all the more daunting and discernable amongst the couples dressed in lighter more glittery colours of the rainbow.

He stuck to the shadows as most of her kind did, but what unnerved her was that she knew this man, for he was a Dhampir himself; just like her.

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**A/N: Fuck me-I've got terrible sunburn on my knees, shoulders, feet, calves, upper arms, face and chest -.- man, this is depressing and painful. Anywho, there's another chappie done, I was hoping to get more in it but it was already five pages long-the usual page mark for this story. I'm sorry that I didn't get this out sooner, didn't mean to dawdle with this so much, I would **_**like**_** to say that the next chapter will be out within the next fort night but I'm not sure yet, it depends what happens with my dad.**

**Anywho, today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'CaitlinXcowz' for her cheerful reviews :)**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	21. Those Eyes

**A/N: Hello my little zombies, I have got a couple of very important announcements to make, ahem!**

**~ Firstly, I will start with the good news; my dad got his results from his op, and they found tumours-BUT they are benign (which means there's a very tiny chance of them turning cancerous later on), so he's not gonna die! (Does a victory dance)**

**~ Okay, now secondly, this is the bad news, right, y'know in one of my previous chapters I said that my computer crashed, but I had all my stories saved onto a USB stick so everything was fine? Well, that particular USB stick died (apparently it melted on the inside and was totally unusable), so yep, I lost ALL my stories AGAIN, talk about fucking annoying! But don't worry, I plan to finish this off-I WON'T back down!**

**~ Also thirdly-which is more bad news, I lost a LOT of stories that I was gonna put up on here in the future, so now I'm having to re-think about what I wanna do next. I also lost the next ALMOST completed chapter to 'The Wind Beneath My Wings'-which annoyed my LIKE HELL! So I'm gonna have to re-write that one...eventually...**

**Anyway! Sorry for this ridiculously LONG introduction, this story may not be updated as frequently cos I'm still trying to pick myself up after losing all my work-most of which I'd been working on for 3 years T_T But thank you all for your patience and enjoy the story! :)**

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**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Twenty-One: Those Eyes...**

Those eyes...

They haunt me even until this day; I remember exactly who he was and what he was.

Hidan must've felt me go tense for he was whispering in my ear, asking me what was wrong, I didn't answer him, I was too preoccupied with the now, my head swirled along with all the thriving bodies and bright lights, the music only a dull thud in my hearing, my eyes remained locked with _his_ and I couldn't suppress the memories that rushed through my mind, making me remember things I'd long since forgotten.

**/*\*/*\**

Long ago when I was still just a kid, life had been very slow, I had no parents, I didn't even remember them, I only had my grandfather; a royal amongst the Vampire's, he was a very wise Vampire, although he was thousands of years old, he didn't look it.

He was my world, he taught me how to feed, defend myself, read, write, dance, sing, play musical instruments, nurture plants and mannerisms.

I never had any friends to call my own, I was secluded away from all other beings apart from my dinner, Tadashii had wanted to protect me, he thought it reckless to introduce me to Vampire society at such a young age, he knew I wasn't ready and decided to wait until I was old and strong enough.

I was a hybrid, a rare being amongst the world of the dead, half-alive and yet my heart didn't beat, I didn't need to breath or use the bathroom-apart from cleaning myself, time around me had stopped, I was stuck in limbo and longed for another companion; a mate for myself.

Although I was young, I understood my desires, Vampire's are highly-sexed creatures and it made me wonder how Tadashii had managed to prevent himself from taking another mate-even if only temporarily.

My grandfather had said that Vampire's can mate with anyone, even their own family, he told me of many Vampire's that'd taken their brother's, mother's even great-grandfather's as mates and although I didn't see anything wrong with that, I was sceptical to the whole idea.

I'd once asked Tadashii if he would be my mate when I was of age, it was probably a rather reckless thing to do, but this burning desire didn't leave me and I needed release, he seemed reluctant and didn't give me a straight answer, instead he'd replied "Wait until you are old enough to be making those decisions, my dear, only then will you realise just how important it is to find a mate, it needs to be successful sexually and romantically; not all relationships go smoothly, it takes years of work and patience."

Because of this, he began moulding me into an independent being, he didn't want me to rely on anyone else for protection, Tadashii told me that love in the Vampire world is sacred and must not be treated lightly, there were bad blood Vampire's that took advantage of human's, using them for sex before draining them and inevitably killing them.

He wanted me to be brought up right, he wanted to prevent me from straying onto that path, I could even tell at one point that Tadashii wanted me to mate with a Vampire, but looking back now I knew he wanted me to be happy more than anything else, he cared too much for my well-being rather than bloodlines.

But that all changed one night...

**/*\*/*\**

_The night was cold, mist swirled around the Earth in fuzzy clumps making the ground invisible, the night sky held no dark clouds, it was bare, stars shone alongside the bright, pure moon; beautiful._

_Leafless trees that were black-as if charred, looked dead and made the environment appear hostile, it rarely rained here, just as rare as the sun would appear, there was nothing in this wasteland; nothing alive that is._

_Everything is dead here, frostily so, it's harsh and unloved._

_It was in the midst of this harsh reality that seemed detached from the rest of the world that a small figure came running soundlessly through the mist, in its arms it clutched a worn teddy that despite the location-looked very loved._

_Electric blue orbs shone through the mist, though there were no prey here to freeze in fear and watch helplessly as their hunter came towards them in great speeds, the figure was that of a girl of about eleven or twelve, she wore a simple black dress with purple and blue flowers decorated all over the rather expensive fabric, white lace hung from the ends of her sleeves, neckline and hem of her dress._

_Her pure-white hair flowed free and shone with a light of it's own, every hesitation or so, her hair would rest low around her waist, fluttering in the wind like that of a warped fairy, her skin was as pale as death itself, taking away the innocence of her child-like visage, making her look harsh yet she was very beautiful, like that of a china doll, so inhuman yet natural in her surroundings._

_She wasn't gasping for breath, sweat was not rolling down in minute balls down the side of her face, her clothes were not torn from thorns on dead plants, her shoes held no dirt or dust from the dry Earth beneath her feet with which she was running on and her hair was not tangled from the wind that passed by her like a flash of light of a sun peeking through the clouds._

_Despite her rather calm exterior, she was in a rush, although it was night, she had been kept inside her grandfather's mansion for too long without explanation as to why, only that it weren't 'safe' enough, though she knew that it was a feeble lie, Werewolves were a worry, but they didn't hover around Vampire territory and stayed more or less in their own._

_The girl knew her grandfather would worry, she didn't wish to do so needlessly, but she needed space, air and a view other than the four old walls that hadn't been decorated in the last two hundred years._

_Of course she knew to be quiet, she wasn't going to make any noise, she weren't going to run in the wrong direction to Werewolf territory, she wouldn't talk to strangers-nor were she looking for them, she merely wished to sit outside under the moon for a few hours in silence with her teddy, she loved the night-though it could be dangerous, she preferred the moon and stars, the way they shone, though they were silent, they spoke more profoundly than any other living creature._

_Stars were often misread, only ever glanced at, outshone by the sun and moon, covered by clouds, they could not shout insults, did not need feeding or protecting, they were harmless as they were beautiful._

_She didn't have far to run, she was already a mile or two away from her home, her grandfather could easily catch up to her should he deem wise. _

_She felt no fear, couldn't hear or smell anything else within her own little haven, she paused underneath a dead tree, she glanced around herself-despite being sure that she hadn't been followed, after which her thoughts were proven correct, she leapt from the ground expertly onto a dead tree branch, she shifted herself along to the trunk of the tree, her legs dangled over the edge and swung backwards and forwards carelessly._

_The little girl held her bear close to her chest, though not feeling the cold, she could certainly imagine how cold it would be to other creatures, though she didn't allow herself the 'privilege' to stare at the swirling mist and other lifeless trees surrounding her own; she didn't wish to waste time._

_And so, for over an hour, she watched the moon and stars with impressive vigour for one so young._

_Lost in her own deep thoughts she'd almost missed the scent of another entering her haven, the smell was of the Earth and some sort of tangy perfume, there were no heartbeat, no sound of footsteps and there were no growls from her usual enemy, which meant..._

"_Hello, little one, what is it that you do out here alone?" _

_The little girl stiffened at the silky male voice that cut through the silence like a blade, the wonderful silence that she'd been lounging in, but now she was alert and rather...scared._

_She looked round and caught onto another pair of electric blue eyes; she didn't jump, though she was rather surprised to see them there amongst the colourless backdrop._

_These eyes did not belong to that of her grandfather, these were more sharp and slightly narrow, but they belonged to that of a God, the girl felt herself grow shy, he was as tall as her grandfather, his hair hung to his shoulders and were a beautiful shade of midnight black, he wore armour similar to that of what her grandfather ceased wearing four years before, deciding to give up that life and go for one more secluded._

_His armour consisted mostly of black and silver, the design looked rather intricate, a long cape hung down to his ankles, he was beautiful and when he spoke, his pearly-white teeth almost blinked at her in the moonlight._

_But he was a stranger and she was taught to never speak to strangers, despite how compelling their voice may be, how gorgeous their appearance and how strong their body._

_She shifted nervously on her branch, clutching the teddy closer to her, fearing this wondrous stranger, knowing that she a Dhampir, there would be no way she could take on an adult Vampire, she lacked the skill, experience and height._

_Instead, she looked up at the moon and stars, before looking back at him, his face was now upturned to the dark sky, a faint smile adorned his pale lips, his face turned to her and his smooth words sent a slight shiver down her spine-both of desire and uncertainty "Ah, you come to watch the night sky?"_

_She answered him with a small nod, not daring to speak, just in case he enchanted her, she'd seen her grandfather do it with his voice and it unnerved her, she was still practising her own gift, but she was no way near the level her grandfather was at._

_He smiled at her warmly now, giving away nothing and yet-everything, she was rather unnerved by this though didn't dare read his mind just in case she would uncover some dark thoughts._

"_You need not fear me, I am not here to harm you, I am like you; a Dhampir, ah, I see the shock on your face, yes, I must admit that I, myself am surprised to meet another such as myself."_

_The little girl was shocked; very shocked indeed, she ogled at him without a second thought, not only had she felt shock, she felt betrayal as well, was this man's claim true? Did her grandfather really lie to her? Why?_

_The little girl felt hurt overcome her, she couldn't believe that her grandfather; her only beacon amidst this bland darkness would lie to her, she felt tears prick at her eyes and she lowered them, turning away from the stranger-which was probably the most reckless thing she could've done-it went against all her training, but she no longer cared, she'd been lied too and it hurt._

_She felt a large hand stroke the top of her head in motions that were meant to soothe and her head shot round in shock, seeing the half-Vampire squatted on a branch slightly lower than hers by a few inches, she suddenly noticed his monstrous height towering over her small form, though she tried not to show it she couldn't help but fear this dark, damning beauty._

"_Do not cry, little one, I am here, I will help scratch out whatever plagues your troubled mind, tell me, why would your grandfather; Lord Tadashii Hoshi, a great noble, hide the truth from you?"_

_The girl didn't have an answer, she actually didn't know what to say to that, she could only wonder what he would stand to gain from hiding the truth from her, it was too confusing to a kid such as herself, since she barely knew much of the world apart from darkness and blood._

"_I-I don't know..." She finally spoke up, breaking the one promise to her grandfather she'd made, though she felt little shame at learning he'd kept the truth from her, the truth that she weren't the only one of her kind, that there were others, that she weren't a freak and alone._

_That she was natural._

_He smiled once more at her and stroking her head again, he muttered sensuously "That is alright, little one, one young as yourself should not be expected to know everything of the world, and I am Jarl, (A/N: Is Irish and pronounced as 'Yarl') remaining noble of the Eastern house alongside my two sisters-both of whom are full-bred Vampire's, though I remain the oldest and who are you?"_

_The little girl felt more than relieved when he took his hand from her head and leaned away from her, giving her space, she blinked then replied "I am Shinko Hoshi; Tadashii is my grandpa, I come from the Southern house."_

_Jarl gave her a brief nod and smile, seeing this made her feel a little more confident that she smiled a little in return, she didn't wish to appear ill-mannered._

"_I know you wonder why I come here, little one, truth is; I search for a mate, I am lonely and long to find an equal, someone that is very much like myself, it has not been easy, but I am sure you know all about that, don't you, little one?" His attention was completely focused on her, Shinko found herself grow excited, she knew what he was hinting at; he wanted __**her**__._

_In answer, Shinko gave a small nod and murmured "I guess so, but I wouldn't know so much about being lonely, I have my grandpa, but he thinks it unwise to introduce me to other Vampire's, he thinks I'm too young."_

"_And indeed you are, at least, for many of your grandfather's more bloodthirsty friends, I, on the other hand believe you are more than ready to take a mate and travel the world-in good company of course, alas, I am speaking out of term, forgive me, Lady Shinko, I guess I have not been in decent company for a long while, travelling across many lands and barely finding a worthy companion, I believe I am not using my manners accordingly for someone so young and beautiful."_

_Never before had she been complimented as she had then, he was being a true gentleman, giving her courtesy, knowing when __**not**__ to step over the boundaries and he didn't make her feel like a freak amongst pure bloods._

_He was exactly like her and...she kinda liked him._

"_Thank you...you say you search for a mate, why?" Childish curiosity got the better of her-as usual, but she knew he wouldn't mind, he didn't seem the type to hurt children-unless they were his food._

"_Purely for selfish reasons, I want a companion; a wife, I wish to continue my bloodline eventually, but I long to fill this empty void here-" his hand rested upon the place where his heart were "to cure this loneliness and give my love to a deserving Vampire...or preferably half-Vampire."_

_Her ears pricked at that last part and she quickly replied "That sounds nice, I want a mate, but grandpa says I'm too young, he says I should wait until a proper age; until I know what I want, but I know what I want already, I want a significant other, I also get these strange desires...they make me confused..."_

_She felt slightly embarrassed for admitting such things, but she knew she couldn't keep it a secret, for he could read minds just like she could._

_It was perhaps at this one moment when she felt vulnerable, no other Vampire could read minds, so it'd been guessed it was a half-breed thing._

_He gave hearty chuckle that seemed to dance upon the air; it was a pleasant sound._

"_That, little one, is called; sexual tension, something which only mates can cure."_

_Shinko looked at him curiously, he was genuinely nice company, she was no longer afraid of him, his personality was warm and when she __**did **__read his mind, she could find no dark or sinister thoughts what so ever, which meant that he was being honest._

_He was lonely, just as she sometimes felt._

_Gazing up at him, she gained the courage to ask "Would you be my mate?"_

_And in answer to that; he grinned._

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**A/N: And there ya have it folks!**

**Jarl wasn't in the original story, but I really like him, I'm thinking that maybe Shinko should end up with Jarl instead of Hidan, what do you all think?**

**Cos don't get the wrong impression, there is nothing sinister at all going on with Jarl, he is genuinely a good character, unusual-perhaps, but a rather lonely and thoughtful figure.**

**Anywho, I guess this chapter made up for the other one, cos I felt that one sucked major giraffe abortions XP lol**

**Today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' and 'watergoddesskasey' for their cheerful reviews :)**

**Next chapter should be out sometime in the next fortnight or so, perhaps sooner, ya never know with me; I'm unpredictable, haha!**


	22. Old Flame

**A/N: OMFG, how LONG has it been since I've updated this? 3 months? Holy Christ, I can't believe I've left it that long. My sincerest apologies, I really didn't intend to keep you all waiting this long, a lot has been going on-too much to fit in. But I suddenly had my own epiphany; one where I've finally completed this story and believe me, I've still got some chapters to go yet. Enjoy!**

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**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Twenty-Two: Old Flame**

Shinko felt herself being shaken, she blinked and woke up in the present, seeing Hidan stood amongst all the dancing couples, staring down at her in concern and confusion; he clearly had no idea of what was going through her mind at that moment.

She also hadn't realised that he'd been talking the entire time and she'd been ignoring him completely, Shinko gave him a small smile just for him and muttered "I guess I'm tired...sorry."

He shook his head and sighed, placing his arm around her waist; he guided her from the dance floor and back over to their table, intending to remain there for the rest of the evening, especially since Hidan couldn't dance very well and felt his stomach growl in hunger _again_.

When Hidan took his plate back to the buffet table and once again began piling the food upon it, Shinko took that very moment to glance back to where she'd seen _him_, her eyes dodged past every swirling couple, every colourful gown and ornament, but surprisingly she couldn't find _him_.

She let out a long sigh she hadn't been aware of holding in, she slumped back against the chair in relief, figuring she must've been more tired than she assumed for now she was seeing things that weren't even there!

For the next few moments she glanced around the room to try and catch sight of the others, not being too surprised when she couldn't see many of them, this time she saw Deidara and a young, busty woman dancing together, as Konan and Pein were previously along with herself and Hidan. Aside from him, the others had disappeared from her view; the room being too crowded and colourful to discern any particular figures.

For the next few moments, she took to poking at the slice of pizza that'd laid half-eaten on the table, not wanting to seem desperate on her own, though she hardly cared since she's used to being alone...at least before this evening she was.

Hidan returned and sat down with a sigh, his plate on the table, not completely stacked high as it'd been the first time, but still pretty full making Shinko feel slightly jealous that he got to eat so much and yet she had to sit and suffer in silence, but she was glad deep-down that he was regaining his strength.

However, it was Hidan's expression that made her raise an eyebrow in curiosity; he looked as though he'd seen his worst nightmare on replay seven times.

He leaned towards her, swallowing he muttered "You'll never fucking believe what I just saw, Zetsu...was touching Tobi...erm, down _there_..."

Shinko blinked, feeling her body turn cold at the mere thought of those two doing _things like that_ especially in public.

"Are you sure? I mean, surely they're not-" Hidan cut her off bluntly "Faggots? Gay? Jeez, I dunno, but I know what I fucking saw and believe me...I think I'm gonna have nightmares, I don't even feel that hungry anymore. It's not that I can't stand seeing people _getting it on_, it's just...well, look at them! They're not the most handsome guys around and Tobi's not the bloody brightest guy around."

Shinko had to agree, she and Zetsu rarely spoke and if rarely saw eye-to-eye, except when it comes to dinner and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she disliked Tobi..._very much_.

Just thinking about those two being _together_ was rather disturbing, especially since Tobi acted so much like a kid, it made Zetsu look like a paedophile in comparison-despite their age.

"Clearly they must like each other a lot..." She replied forcefully, for she didn't even want to think about them two making out; of course she had nothing against gays, lesbians or bi-sexuals, for her kind and the pure-breed Vampires are all that and incestual as well, so she couldn't talk, but it was just Zetsu and Tobi as people that she found disturbing...

Hidan relaxed back in his seat, a frown creasing his forehead as he went into deep thoughts, picking up some food he ate away as they sat in silence, just by the look on Hidan's face she knew he was still mulling over how he hadn't noticed their relationship sooner, of course he'd thought they swung that way, but thinking and reality is another matter.

Seeing this, Shinko felt the need to excuse herself, she still felt cold, despite already being dead-cold to begin with, but it was almost as if she were being watched...even so, she needed some fresh air to gather her thoughts.

She must regain her composure after seeing Jarl stood there when he clearly wasn't, she had to remind herself that Hidan was the only one for her and also knew that she'd have to tell him all about Jarl eventually if she were to ever move on from the past, but the mere thought of Jarl made her panic; she just didn't have the courage to tell Hidan yet.

That and she also dreaded what he'd think of her.

"I'm just going to the bathroom, I'll be right back." Shinko stood up, feeling her hands clammy, she saw his eyes blink back into focus and looked confused, no doubt seeing the uncertainty written on her face and she felt guilt slam into her like a brick wall.

Quickly now, she flashed him a smile and pecked him on the cheek before leaving the ballroom and to go in search of the ladies' restroom.

On her way out she only saw Kakuzu, Sasori and Kisame talking amongst themselves at a table, to engrossed in what the others were saying that they hadn't noticed her slip out of the overly packed ballroom and into the marble corridors.

Already the air felt cooler out here, the music wasn't as loud, nor was the laughter and chatter of others continuously penetrating her thoughts, the lights were dimmer out here and just before she stepped into the ladies' room a man and a woman-no doubt lovers or married passed her, arm-in-arm, laughing to each other about something that'd been spoken previously before disappearing down the silent corridors no doubt returning to the ballroom.

Shinko sighed to herself, only now regretting leaving Hidan on his own, he must think that something's wrong, did he wonder whether she was getting cold-feet?

'I shouldn't have left him,' Shinko stopped mid-step, knowing she was being foolish, Jarl wasn't here, he couldn't possibly remember her; it'd been such a long time ago now-there'd be no way he'd still be fixated on her, she was perfectly safe from him. Besides, Hidan is her mate now, her soul-mate, her life-mate, any mate you can imagine, he is that.

Shinko almost felt like laughing at herself for being so utterly ridiculous, she had nothing to worry about.

"Good evening, Lady Shinko." A silky smooth male voice broke the silence and Shinko smiled to herself.

See? Nothing to worry about.

"I know you can hear me, my dear, turn around please, it is rude to talk to someone's back." Again that same beautiful voice that spoke to her long ago returned.

Of course she's just thinking up his voice! That's all this was, a voice; in her head, she decided she seriously needed to consider asking Sasori or Konan for sleeping pills, there's no way she's going to end up like Zetsu or in paranoia. She really didn't want to lose her mind.

However, she hadn't expected an equally ice-cold hand to rest upon her left shoulder and turn her round forcefully to face the same male she'd conjured up in her line of vision earlier, here he was, standing there looking every bit as gorgeous as she'd remembered him to be, he looked exactly as he had almost ten years ago, but this time he didn't look so tall to her. Of course she was still shorter than him by some inches; even so, her head reached his shoulders.

But when the hand that'd remained on her shoulder gave a definitive squeeze, she immediately knew that she wasn't seeing or hearing things. It was beyond that. He was here-actually here with her after all of these years.

But it wasn't happiness that filled her, but panic, silently she lifted her own hand to touch his arm and found that it was hard and smooth, even under material it was still the same.

"No..." her voice shook as she spoke, taking a couple of steps back, though wasn't successful in escaping his presence, since his hand remained upon her shoulder and he followed along with her, taking a couple of steps forward. "No...it can't be..."

A smile appeared across his face, making his beauty heighten and her breath caught in her throat at such a sight; he looked rather humoured.

"But it is, I have returned Lady Shinko, many nights have I watched the pale moon and stars and am reminded of your youth and beauty; your innocence, I searched for you for four years, not giving up hope, and here I find you at a party...with some _human_." His smile had vanished and his eyes narrowed, glittering dangerously at her in the dim light and she felt couldn't help the flinch at his dark look that seemed to be breaking into her mind and accusing her of many things.

But also, she felt courage, Shinko reminded herself that she'd been through tougher experiences than this, she'd almost died three times and was determined for it to stay that way, she'd conquered her fears, faced her enemies and had to leave behind the one person she loved most all the while having to grow-up and learn to be an adult.

She could definitely handle Jarl.

Shinko stood up straight, smacking his hand from her shoulder, she took a couple of steps back from him, regaining the much needed personal space, her own eyes narrowing at him as she replied coldly "Indeed, I find it surprising that you've obsessed over me this long; Lord Jarl, but believe me when I say that _human_, is my life-mate and that when you insult him, you are also insulting me as well."

He studied her in silent fascination, as if she were an experiment in a lab.

"You really have grown-up, little one, so beautiful and fierce-just as our kind are made to be, I am astounded at how much you've changed over the years, but in a good way-oh very much so. Believe me when I say that I have wanted to speak with you as an adult for so long; yearned it so." Jarl smiled fondly at her, causing her anger to momentarily freeze at the memories of their meetings all those years ago.

But then it all came back.

"I can't say the same for you, my Lord. I was young then, naive; you preyed upon a girl and made her promise you the one thing that you _knew_ wasn't within her power to give at that time! Too young she was to make that decision and I am so very glad that my grandfather drove you away when he did!" Shinko hissed at him, noticed too how he'd completely avoided any mention of Hidan.

A look of pain crossed his face, almost making her feel sorry for him, but reminded herself that Hidan was waiting for her back in the ballroom, he'd soon wonder what was taking her so long and if she was alright, he'd soon come searching for her and then he'd discover the one thing she wasn't ready to tell him yet.

"I'm hurt, how can you say such cruel things after everything we shared...after all this time I have searched for you? You asked me to be your mate and I accepted, I courted you-even though you're too young, yet _you_ was determined to continue; not once did you reject my advances and though it was completely innocent, you still led me to believe that we would one day be together and I intend to keep that promise." Jarl growled, though pain was clearly written in his eyes.

Shinko sighed "I don't deny what happened years ago, but it's almost been _ten_ years Jarl, it's impossible for you to have waited that long for me. I was a child, foolishly trying to become an adult like my grandfather-wanting to prove that I was capable of looking after myself and making the right decisions, but clearly I made a wrong decision with you; I'm very sorry that I led you along Jarl, but there's no possibility of us being together-as I've told you, I already have a mate."

Jarl's lips pulled back on a snarl, his fangs gleaming in the light, making his beauty turn ugly for a moment in his blind rage.

"I have not bedded another since I was with you, I fell in love with you, Lady Shinko, I gave you my heart, you promised yours in return, yet now I am to find out that you were _playing me_?"

"No, it's not like that, I-" Jarl cut her off with a hiss "Your words hurt me, but I will not be deterred from what I have been promised all those years back, I want you by my side; forever."

"That's not possible, I already-" again Jarl interrupted, his voice raising, not at all concerned about being overheard "It is! We are alike, so very much so. We are from the same species, I know how lonely you must have been and I'm sorry that you had to suffer alone, my little one, but now that'll all change, I searched many decades to find one like myself-it was near impossible when the pure-breeds went into hiding, but then I found you, just a young-thing that was yet to be tainted by the world, Lady Shinko, I have loved you ever since and understand you more clearly than any mere human male or female; I have waited all this time and now that I've found you...I feel such a desire to take you in my arms and hold you to me forever. You are everything I want and desire from a life-mate, please, reconsider-I will give you plenty of time to think about it of course, but please, allow me; Lord Jarl of the Eastern house to court you once more, allow us to re-introduce ourselves and learn of each other once more. No matter how long it may take, I am more than willing to wait for you another ten years if it'll mean that you'll be mine and only mine; forever."

Shinko stood back shocked by this statement, any words that she was about to say died in her mouth, his electric-blue eyes that pierced the darkness, also pierced her heart and not in a good way either, he was baring his soul to her, allowing her to see every emotion he had; he was being completely genuine and honest. And there was some truth to his words, had too promised herself to him; signing that invisible contract years ago.

But that was it. _Years ago._ In all honesty she'd believed him to have either moved on or hunted down even before she'd joined the Akatsuki and yet here he was, proclaiming his love to a complete stranger based upon how she'd been as a child. And Shinko had more than changed a little.

But now she'd rightfully promised herself to another; this time she had the power to do so and already used it with the one she felt she truly belonged too. Hidan is her everything, he knew what she'd been as a child, he'd watched her grow-up, like Kakuzu and some of the others, he'd been with her since she was fourteen, young and still inexperienced.

And yet...Jarl knew next to nothing about her.

"Shinko?"

Her eyes shot past Jarl and saw Hidan stood there in the dimly lit corridor staring at Jarl with piercing magenta eyes full of hate and anger; it was then that she knew he'd heard most of what'd been said and of course she hadn't noticed his arrival since her attention was completely focused on Jarl.

Jarl glared darkly over his left shoulder at Hidan, neither of them wavering, but Shinko could hear the unanswered questions rushing through Hidan's mind, which were all too curious to discover what was really going on here.

"Who the fuck is this?" Hidan growled in pure malice.

"He is Lord Jarl of the Eastern house in Demon country. He too is a Dhampir." This news shocked Hidan, saw it too flash across his face briefly, Shinko could almost feel the pain emanating from him and noticed too how hard it was for him to form a proper sentence.

"And what is he to you?"

Shinko blinked, meeting his eyes, seeing the hurt and anger, as well as the love and hope, she felt her dead heart break slowly for him, she knew that Hidan was struggling beyond all belief to control himself from attacking this stranger and causing a scene-which was the exact thing that Pein didn't want to happen.

Staring into his eyes with new-founded determination, she replied honestly "He is nothing to me. As a child, I asked him to be my mate-not fully grasping what it was that I was asking; it was a huge mistake on my part...I have not only hurt his feelings...but yours as well. I am so very sorry. You are my life-mate Hidan, I love _you_. I am giving you everything of myself to you because that is how much you mean to me, to live without you...is like living without blood."

Hidan's eyes reflected such love and happiness back that Shinko felt like crying, they'd connected so well together, he knew when she was telling the truth and it was the same in reverse, they both felt so strongly to one another that Shinko doubted that even death could keep them apart.

Jarl lowered his head, the pain too much to bear as he slowly walked away from them in silence. But Shinko couldn't let him leave like that.

"Lord Jarl," said male paused mid-step at the sound of her call, but didn't turn to face her "I just want you to know how deeply sorry I am for letting you believe all this time that we would be together. You are a very honest gentleman and I thank you for it."

She bowed to him deeply, knowing deep-down that no apology could ease his pain, she could've sworn he glanced back at her briefly, before he walked on, calling back "Stay by your mate Shinko and may you find happiness." It was in the silence that followed that he whispered quietly to himself "Where I could not..."

Once he'd disappeared, Hidan rushed over to her and pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly as he stroked her hair, murmuring "If there's anything else you've failed to mention, I suggest you fucking tell me now before I suffer a bloody heart attack!"

Shinko chuckled at his humour, before leaning against him she answered "There isn't anything that springs to mind, other than the disturbing memory of hearing Deidara masturbating in his room."

Hidan pulled away with his mouth open in both disgust and surprise.

Shinko shrugged and replied "Sensitive hearing isn't what it's cracked-up to be."

Taking his hand in hers, she leaned towards him and began kissing at his neck and jaw, before moving towards his now closed mouth; both met on instinct and as they held each other close, both knew that this was only one of the few trials that would test their love for each other.

And they were more than ready to face them.

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**A/N: At last I have updated! Unbelievable! This story is NOT over just yet, I still have maybe ten chapters left to put up? Half of which have already been completed, but I will try and update sooner with the next chapter, not sure when, but it definitely will NOT be as long as 3 months!**

**Today I am shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' and 'Jangonara' for their supportive and wonderful reviews-I am SO very sorry for keeping you both waiting!**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	23. Dreams of Long Ago

**A/N: Hello there! I was hoping I'd have this out sooner, but hey-ho, can't have everything in life (if we could I wouldn't be sat here with the stinking cold-having it straight after the flu for three weeks is pure torture!). I felt the last chapter sucked a little...but don't worry; Jarl will return in future chapters. Though there aren't that many left now...Anywho, enjoy!**

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**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Twenty-Three: Dreams of Long Ago**

_Mist swirled around my vision, it was dark, the ground dead and cold, all matter of life ceased to exist here and in this moment I realised I was running._

_My foot-steps were soundless, my breaths very low and frequent-coming in gasps, my hair restrained to two plaits swung around my shoulders and back, occasionally appearing in front of my face, I was holding something tightly; yet in the haze of the mist and my impatience to go somewhere I couldn't make out what it was...yet._

_Everything around me was dark, yet the mist seemed to glow in some distinct and eerie light that even my keen eyes couldn't deduce what had made this magic possible._

_I didn't have to run long, I soon found myself stopping before a tall, black tree-lifeless as it'd always been and I smiled brightly to myself-this tree was my favourite amongst all others, so huge it was and yet silent._

_I had carved a cross in it when I'd first come across it however long ago to remind me which one it was, though I remembered distinctly from shape and touch that the old, dead tree belonged to me alone._

_Time stood still here, around me there was no noise, no howling of a Werewolf, no hooting of an owl searching endlessly for its mate, no wind and even as I looked up into what I already perceived as the night sky, I could only make out a bright half-moon, shining in its own pure glow as if it were some sort of decoration amongst all this death and silence._

_With a single leap I was in the tree fifteen feet off the ground and without worry of falling or at the thought of being seen, I walked along the thick branch and sat down, swinging my legs outwards beneath me; first the right one-then the left._

_I remained silent and it was then that I knew I was waiting for something...or rather someone._

_There were no shadows; just darkness, no light; just darkness, no wind; just darkness...all of it swirling within a thick fog as if remembering a broken memory, one that seemed to be dim and lacking detail._

_I gave a small sigh and when I glanced below myself once more, I almost choked on surprise at the dark, looming figure, stood beneath my branch._

_I presumed it was a male, of what kind I weren't sure, however, he was tall, dark, his face overshadowed by darkness, only his mouth remained within my line of sight, his mane was dark and hung about his shoulders, he was silent as the night itself, he made no move to attack me; it was impossible to learn whether he'd even noticed my presence or not._

_He stood there; much like a statue and did not speak one word._

_I was baffled at what this creature was and why I was here with it, surely there must be a reason?_

_My fingers fiddled and tapped onto the box I was carrying with me, still held tightly to my chest only giving me the barest of comfort. It looked familiar but I couldn't place where I'd seen it before, but I was surprised at the longing I had for this box and its contents._

_I felt my eyes water, my dead heart clench as if I'd been reunited with a loved one that'd been lost, I felt such emotion overcome myself that I forgot about the strange creature that was sharing my company._

_I hugged the box with some sort of picture on it; though I couldn't tell, my vision of the box was rather blurry, and as I hugged this box to my small chest I felt immense sadness wash over me, a few tears fell from my eyes at this and all I wanted to do was to hug this box to my chest forever and never let it go._

_A gruff noise was heard, something akin to a snort and being the ever curious half-Vampire that I was, I longed to search what'd made that noise, however there was only one other sharing my company..._

_It had been him, for he was now smirking, his fangs hung from the corners of his lips in the night and reflected a light that had not been there in the darkness, momentarily blinding me, before I blinked and found myself on the ground on my knees._

_He was opposite me, doing the same thing; kneeling, but now his interest seemed occupied, he was looking at the ground, busying himself with his hands, a small smile made my nerves ease just by the barest thread._

_I looked down and noticed that the box I'd once been hugging tightly to myself was now open, its contents spread across the ground as if its organs had been ripped out and laid bare for display._

_It was a jigsaw puzzle._

_Of what I could not tell, but he seemed rather taken to it and I had to admit to myself that I was having a little bit of fun; the sadness was long gone, in place was a calm and warm sensation in my chest. I was happy._

_I picked up a few pieces, trying to discern the invisible detail and pick out its shape so that I could figure out where to place it, but eventually gave up after failing to do it correctly; instead I watched what I thought was my new friend continue on with the puzzle-as if it were saving a life._

_He was so focused, calm and yet looked strangely pleased. He was enjoying himself as well._

_It was such an innocent activity between two complete strangers and yet, I had the horrible sensation in my stomach that all but screamed at me; telling me I'd known him from some life-time ago._

_I didn't let it bother me, for now I was content on just sharing this moment, I knew deep-down that my life had never been like this, despite the fact I'm merely a child, I knew I was alone and ostracized from the world because of what I am._

_But looking at this stranger, I somehow knew that he was exactly the same as myself, we were alike, we both accepted each other for what we were, both understood the pain and loneliness that it entailed and it was just nice...to know that I wasn't completely alone...that there were others like me out there. They're just hiding in hopes of surviving._

_A satisfied sound resonated from his throat and caught my attention on him once more; he'd finished the puzzle and although I could not see the picture, I smiled in recognition, he looked pleased with himself; seemed innocently happy._

_We both shared a smile for the briefest moment, an understanding between friends?_

_But even my child-like mind knew that all good things came to an end; some worse than others._

_A flash appeared once more, rendering me sightless for a couple of seconds before I blinked again and saw two figures clashing at each other; they were fighting, using swords._

_I recognised those swords, at least one of them, they'd been melded and created by the ancient Vampire's; ones that went back many generations, no doubt further back than my grandfather's grandparents._

_The man that'd been sat opposite me had his own sword-one I didn't recognise, but knew it was an heirloom-one that'd been passed down by generations of a family._

_It was then that I recognised the figures before me, the dark one; Jarl and the fair one; Tadashii-my grandfather were both fighting against each other._

_I felt a moments panic at what my grandfather would say about me interacting with a stranger when he'd strictly forbidden me from doing so and in my panic I rushed to grab at the pieces of the puzzle, breaking it, like shards of a memory long-suppressed and long-forgotten. _

_Snarls-much like animalistic noises ripped from their throats; scaring me, deep-down I didn't wish for either of them to die, my grandfather was the world to me and Jarl; he was my only friend-someone like me._

_However, I didn't dare intervene, they were adults, faster, stronger, lighter and even more deadly than I could ever hope to be, fangs shone as they bared them to each other in an act of dominance, their blades clashing in a flash of blue sparks momentarily lighting up the darkness and the fog._

_It was like they were dancing, an enchanting display of raw power._

_Blood splattered across the dry ground; whose?_

_And eventually Tadashii slammed the sword through Jarl's stomach, rendering him speechless and incapable of movement, he stood in silent shock as blood poured from his wound and his throat, dripping onto the ground, forming crimson puddles around their feet._

_A cry of horror escaped my lips but found myself entranced in the red liquid slowly gaining more ground._

"_How dare you come near my granddaughter, you insolent-you have angered me and offended me deeply," Tadashii yanked the sword from Jarl's mid-section and with his free-hand shoved him roughly away and into the tree behind._

"_Leave...and never return; if I ever come to know you have been near Lady Shinko again in the future, I will rip you to shreds myself. I will not permit you a second chance; return to your home and remain there. Be-gone!" Tadashii bellowed out at the end, making me jump._

_However, Jarl's eyes that I had not been able to see throughout meeting him suddenly shined bright blue and was then gone, disappearing within the mist and into the darkness where he'd once come from._

_The now closed jigsaw box I held to myself tightly almost shook as my grandfather turned his sharp gaze on me, his blue eyes shining in the dark, his toned and strong body turned and walked to me fluidly, I shivered as he stopped before me, bending down to meet my eyes, his black cape scrunching at his heels, his gloved hand reaching to my face and stroked my cheek softly._

"_Now, let us return home and there you will tell me all that you and Lord Jarl had been doing." His voice was firm yet soft, calming me a little, I smiled and nodded my head-perhaps a little too eagerly._

_Even so, he rose to his feet, returning his sword once more to its sheath, holding his hand out to me, smiling warmly he muttered "Shinko...Shinko..."_

"_Grandpa?" My smile slowly vanishing as he began fading in the darkness and the fog, his handsome form disappearing from my view completely and I was alone once more._

_My heart clenched painfully, tears poured from my eyes and down my cheeks, feeling pain to the highest intensity, sobs racked my body as I searched the dark fog; now frightened and lonely._

"_G-grandpa...don't leave me! I don't want to be alone anymore...I'm scared!"_

"_Shinko..." His warm voice echoed around me and I spun around searching for him when I already knew it was too late._

"_Where are you? I'm here-I'm right here! Please...don't go." I pleaded, during this I noticed the fog thickening, the darkness growing and swirling around me like figures on a wall, taunting and laughing, wailing and beckoning._

"_Shinko...find me..." It would be the last thing I would hear._

**/*\*/*\**

"Shinko! Oi Shinko!"

A loud banging began resounding on her bedroom door as she slowly blinked open her sleepy eyes, almost hissing at the noise, taking a deep breath to calm herself from snapping at Hidan as she'd often do first-thing in the morning, she knew he couldn't help being a little insensitive sometimes.

"Shinko, wake-up! Are you alright in there?" It was the concern in his voice that made her blink in confusion this time, but made no move to get up from her mattress on the floor.

"I'm fine, you should stop that incessant banging; you'll wake everyone up." She scolded him lightly, not appreciating being awoken from such a...sad yet complicated dream.

She'd gone through such an array of emotions that she couldn't tell whether it'd been a dream or a nightmare; it was one of those in-between ones.

She heard a huff on the other side of her bedroom door "This is the fucking thanks I get for waking you up? Telling _me_ I'd be the one to wake the arseholes up, yet it was _you_ that was wailing like a fucking baby!"

Shinko's arm paused in mid-movement as she'd gone to brush a hand through her long white locks.

Had she really been wailing like a baby?

She felt sudden horror and dread coursing through her body in that exact moment, she must've been crying in her dream/nightmare if Hidan would mention it, he knew now not to mess with her unstable emotions; he'd learned from first-hand experience how dangerous it'd been-he was even taking a huge risk telling her this now first-thing in the morning when she was at her foulest point.

'It's because he loves me' she thought as she lifted her hand to her wet face, confirming his belief and she felt a few more tears slip-out at how urgent her grandfather sounded; he was beckoning her to return to him.

Taking in a deep breath, she forced herself to her feet, treading across the matted carpet.

"Hey...do you need anything?" Hidan's voice came from the other side of the door and she paused mid-step, feeling more tears escape her at how concerned he sounded.

Quickly now she unbolted the locks on her bedroom door, pulling it open so fast that he jumped away from her in shock, before composing himself once more, subconsciously he was annoyed that he still hadn't been able to take a peek into her bedroom as he longed to do so for over two years now, but that thought was immediately broken off as she threw her arms around him tightly.

Her body shaking a little as more tears flowed freely, once he regained himself from surprise, his arms instantly snaked round her waist, holding her gently-giving her time to let it all out; he knew what it felt like waking up from such horrid nightmares that it left you weeping like a blubbering fool of a man or frightened like that of a child after watching their first scary film.

It wasn't nice and the only thing left to do was let it all out.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled as she pulled away a little to wipe at her eyes with her hand.

He gave her a wink-aiming to cheer her up as he replied "Meh, don't be silly, everyone suffers from nightmares-even Kakuzu!"

She blinked at this, feeling pleasantly surprised as she asked "Kakuzu? _Really?_"

Hidan's grin became huge as he touched a finger to her nose, he stated "Of course! There was this one time that I heard him cry-"

"_Not another word Hidan or I will make sure you never walk and speak again._"

Hidan stiffened visibly and Shinko's eyes narrowed at the malice in Kakuzu's voice-which naturally came from _behind_ Hidan.

They both turned to stare at him, Kakuzu stood there in all his manly glory, mask less, shirtless and in long, black jogging bottoms; it was obvious he'd only woken up and it was well-known to them that Kakuzu was a terrible grouch-much like Shinko in the mornings. Hidan was capable of boundless energy at times, but even he sometimes felt irritation bite at him.

Hidan laughed and brushed him off "Ah, c'mon, ya gotta admit it was fucking hilarious!"

"_No. It was not._" Kakuzu's stony reply made Hidan frown at him in annoyance, Kakuzu glanced at Shinko seeing her slightly puffy eyes from her crying, before groaning, turning back towards his bedroom door he grumbled "I'm not even going to ask."

He wasn't functioned to handle such drama as soon as he'd woken up. Give him a black coffee, money and an hour alone in peace and quiet and then he'd be able to tackle problems that went outside of his fantasising about golden coins falling like rain all around him.

His door clicked shut softly and left the other two alone in the living area.

"Tell me some other time." She whispered to Hidan when she knew Kakuzu was well out of ear-shot and his head spun round, his grin returned and so did a cheeky twinkle to his eyes.

Oh, he'd do more than that.

* * *

**A/N: And so I hope not to take so long updating but a friend of my family is coming down to stay with us at the end of this week so I can't guarantee anything. **

**Today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'Jangonara' and 'Akuma Chi' for the positive reviews!**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	24. First Date

**A/N: Hello there! Sorry to keep you all waiting, like I said in my last chapter, I had a friend of the family down for a few days, we all had fun and sadly, this week my Nan was taken to hospital, but she's at home now, so we'll have to wait and see how she goes. This week has been pretty much busy as well, but I hope to have some more time to myself at the weekend. I also have a Watchmen one-shot and an Itachi one-shot that I'm posting up sometime before Christmas. As for this story being complete by Christmas-that's looking rather unlikely, New Year sounds more reasonable. But we'll see ;) Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Twenty-four: First Date**

It was a day after Shinko had experienced her nightmare.

It'd been a glimpse of the past she'd made so much effort to ignore and on some memories to forget.

However, like all nightmares there was always some sense of truth and a lot of fantasy that made little-to no sense at the best of times.

For the rest of the day she'd sulked around the living area, mostly just watching or rather flicking through the channels on the television to scout for something interesting to sustain her in entertainment-if only briefly.

Of course that hadn't worked.

Hidan had decidedly left the base for sacrifices and Shinko didn't dare go anywhere near him when he was covered in blood-the mere thought of him like that made alien desires burn within her stomach and between her legs; so she also ignored that.

Kakuzu had gone through a few bills at his usual desk before he too left the base with Konan to purchase food to fill the fridge and cupboards, he would never trust anyone else with food shopping-besides, Konan needed feminine things that only a woman could buy for herself; they both seemed to enjoy the usually peaceful outings where there was no shouting or arguing...unless Kakuzu was trying to haggle with some over-priced goods.

But that'd been yesterday.

Today, Shinko was rather excited and a little nervous; for today was her and Hidan's _first_ date. Well, first _proper_ date.

There wasn't anything fancy planned, the nearest town was fifteen miles away and of course Pein didn't even look remotely interested or even guilty when he'd told them that they couldn't leave the base for a weekend alone.

Pein had glared at Hidan throughout whilst Shinko remained confused, there was definitely something she had missed.

It was as they'd stepped out of Pein's office that they Deidara leaning on the opposite wall looking mighty pleased with himself, a smirk on his face as he watched them exit the room together, having heard Hidan's sigh he came sauntering over to them-a slight sway to his hips and a spring to his steps.

"Looks like the _lovebirds_ couldn't go away for their shagfest, hmm! What. A. Shame." The blond laughed at his own taunt, almost forgetting Hidan was there and leered at Shinko in the most sickeningly lustful look that she'd ever seen on another man's face.

It hadn't gone unnoticed by the male albino and soon a loud crunch filled out the halls as it registered that Hidan had punched Deidara in the side of his cocky mouth-something Shinko had longed to do since she'd joined the Akatsuki, his taunting, snide and very often rude comments shot away at Shinko making her ever more angry deep-down but didn't let it show on the surface for that'd give him exactly what he wants; a reaction.

"You bastard! Y-you hit me!" Deidara exclaimed in anger and shock as he sat up on the floor, cradling his cheek that was already starting to swell from the impact, as he glared at Hidan-completely forgetting Shinko was even there.

Hidan got down into Deidara's face and shouted "Oh, so you're fucking willing to dish shit out but you can't take it back, huh? What a fucking pussy!"

The blond paled at how livid Hidan looked, his cheeks red, magenta eyes alit with a fiery anger whilst narrowed in slights, white eyebrows drew towards each other making lines appear on his forehead and his mouth trembled in unspoken fury-he looked divine.

Shinko was awe-struck by this violent and less-seen side of her mate, of course she wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his tantrum, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly at how utterly gorgeous he was, though made no move to stop him from giving Deidara his long-deserved beating and decided to allow Hidan to take out his pent-up frustrations on the cocky and unknowing blond.

"If you bother Shinko again I'll fucking kill you _slowly_, I've heard the things you've said to her over the years and I ain't gonna stand for it anymore; she's _my_ girl-no one's allowed to say shit about her bar me-_got it_?" Hidan bellowed, causing the blond to jump violently.

Shinko smirked inwardly; Deidara looked as though he was going to piss in his trousers, and yet, she couldn't suppress the amazement and swell of love that only grew at Hidan's statement-she felt a slight tingling sensation in her stomach; it was a nice feeling, she felt cared for.

"Ah, c'mon! Can't you guys take a joke, hmm?" Deidara rolled his eyes dramatically, looking anywhere apart from Hidan's soul-searching glare.

It didn't work.

Hidan yanked on Deidara's hair as he stood up in front of him-causing the blond to cry out in pain and snarled "Better yet, if you so much as fucking look at her the wrong-way I'll cause you so much pain in places you didn't think were fucking possible!"

With that said, Hidan threw Deidara away from him in disgust, grabbing Shinko's wrist tightly in his hand, Hidan all-but dragged her away through the dimly lit halls, leaving the blond to tremble on the floor.

That'd been this morning, for now it was lunchtime; Kakuzu was staying as far away from them as he could today, grumbling about not wanting to listen to them sucking each others' faces off-which was rather unusual considering he managed very well at every other opportunity to ignore the world around him. Hidan flipped him off at the comment, whereas Shinko glared as darkly as she could.

Hidan had just had something to eat and both of them were lazing out in the living area, both on the sofa cuddling up to each other, the TV on in the background playing an old film they'd seen at least twice already-they weren't paying any attention to it.

Shinko nuzzled her face into Hidan's bare chest, loving the feel of his toned muscles and smooth skin; he smelt of strawberries since he'd pigged out on a load at lunchtime, but Shinko didn't mind, she thought he smelled lovely, with her eyes closed and feeling very much safe and secure, she was more than willing to sleep for the rest of the day with her mate.

That was until Hidan let out a heavy sigh-catching her attention immediately. She knew what that sigh meant.

"What's wrong?" She asked, moving her head so she could look up at him.

His right hand that rested against her back began stroking over her in soothing circles, it felt nice and her worries were instantly calmed.

Another sigh. "I dunno, I mean; fuck! I really wanted us to do something special today, but instead we're doing the same old shit we do nearly every other day!"

Shinko blinked in surprise; for a moment there she thought he was going to say there was something wrong between _them_ or at least about what happened this morning with Deidara. She was very relieved to know it wasn't anything serious.

"Where would we have gone otherwise?" Shinko asked patiently; that was the difference between the two of them, Shinko was more patient than Hidan a lot of the time.

He was silent for some moments, before he replied quietly "To a town of some sort; doesn't matter which one, stay there for a weekend in a hotel and do...couple-stuff I guess," he paused when Shinko cocked her head to one-side in confusion, this was after all her first relationship "like going sight-seeing, eating out, go to a cinema, have sex; bloody hell Shinko didn't your grandfather ever give you the 'birds-and-bees' talk?"

Shinko sat up and blinked, before replying "If you're talking about how to please my mate, then yes; grandpa did teach me about mating...but not about love...or relationships," her eyes lowered to her knees and mumbled "you're not mad are you?"

It was Hidan's turn to blink in confusion, before he shot up on the sofa and replied "Fuck no, why would I be mad at you? So what if it's your first relationship? Everyone has to start somewhere, besides; I'm not exactly you're average fucking Romeo...I rarely dated women, just fucked 'em."

Shinko lifted her head up at her boyfriend with thoughtful eyes; it made her feel better knowing that he didn't expect too much from her and that he was also pretty much new to this, but she did not find comfort in knowing that he liked to have sex with women.

Possessiveness and violent anger coursed through her veins and a voice in the back of her head told her to _mark_ him, put her own stamp on him and put the fear of the Devil itself into him so that he would never think twice of cheating on her. But then she also felt shame and sadness towards herself; for she wasn't experienced in relationships or in sex, she was a blank slate and didn't know how to read people well-hell! It was proof enough of how much running about they did just too finally admit they loved each other, she didn't even know if she were capable of being a great bed-mate and an attentive girlfriend.

Did she perhaps read too much into this relationship?

She was beyond confused now.

"Is that what you want?" She asked looking him dead in the eyes, searching for any hint of a lie; instead she saw shock and then annoyance flash there as he snapped "Sex? You think I'm with you just for sex?"

She hesitated before replying honestly "No...I was just curious...what do you want from our relationship?"

He heaved a sigh of agitation before calming down and muttering "Listen, I wouldn't have fucking told you I loved you if I didn't give a crap about you-alright?" She nodded her head in understanding before he continued on a softer voice "despite being such a vicious bitch; you really are still just a kid, you're so naively innocent at times-especially around me-" he placed a couple of fingers on her lips just as she was about to speak, quieting her so that she would let him finish "of course I fucking like it. I'll admit that I would like sex, but not right now; we have all of eternity for that, so I think I can wait for a while yet, for you; I'd wait forever."

His hand stroked her cheek as she digested this information, allowing his emotions to show in his eyes-only around her in these moments would he let his guard down and be himself, she deserved that much and more.

At the feel of his hand and the endearing statement Shinko felt her eyes widen and water a little, she'd never imagine Hidan to be so valiant, it was a big shock. Reading his eyes with her onyx-coloured ones, she found no hint of deception; he was being honest and all because he loved her so.

She felt her heart clench a little and feeling something tight constrict around her throat, she smiled gently and muttered "Thank you..."

She moved forward into their embrace, lacing her arms around his mid-section, she hugged him tightly, nuzzling her face into his neck as she stated "You're my other-half Hidan...you won't be waiting forever, just for a little while until I can get used to this relationship-I've been so alone for a long time that I haven't had to think of anyone else since my grandfather; but I'm learning."

She felt his breath hitch when she kissed the main artery in his neck and then he nodded in understanding, before resting his arms about her so that he could nuzzle her hair-he loved doing that, she always smelled so rich, it was her natural bodily musk.

He blinked in astonishment when Shinko _purred_, his girl-the half-Vampire just _purred_ to him as if she were a goddamn kitten!

But he was too stubborn to admit he liked it...it was kinda a turn-on...

She pressed her cool lips to his ear as she whispered "I know somewhere we can go to be alone."

He pulled back and stared at her in mild excitement, though that was over-shadowed by his curiosity "Where is it?"

She pulled away to stand-up, walking to her room to retrieve her shoes and fingerless gloves, she sent him a wink over her shoulder as she answered "It's my secret place that I go too when I wish to be alone, it's not that far from here and I'm sure that Pein won't mind us going _there_."

Jumping to his feet he called to her "Wait!" She paused before her bedroom door and looking round at him, she raised an eyebrow in a silent question, Hidan shuffled his feet in mild uncertainty "Listen, you don't need to show me where you go to chill out when you're pissed off or upset-the whole reason no one knows where you go is because it's meant to be a secret-right?"

Shinko stared at him for a long moment.

It was true that she used the spot near the lake when she was mad or upset or even when she needed time alone to think; no one ever thought to look for her there and everyone pretty much left her alone to do as she wished. However, it was no longer a secret anymore; Zetsu had seen her fight against Niiro Youchi and had squealed to Pein about it-which inevitably led to all of this mess, she guessed that Zetsu kept tabs on everyone when they weren't about or were acting suspiciously just in-case they were hiding something.

It no longer mattered who went there now-her privacy had been invaded _long_ ago.

"Not anymore, Zetsu knows where it is after he'd spied on me during a fight over a fortnight ago, but I'd like to share it with you; it's a quiet place and well-secluded. I'm sure you'll like it."

As she disappeared into her room, Hidan made no move to argue and instead, he sighed out loud, rubbing a hand over his gelled back hair, before trudging off into his own room for his cloak and shoes-if anything, his curiosity was definitely piqued.

**/*\*/*\**

"How much further?" Hidan whined aloud childishly, his feet ached a little-especially after the dancing he'd done two nights ago and all the sacrifices he'd presented to Lord Jashin yesterday.

Shinko gripped his hand a little tighter from in front as she replied faintly "Not much farther to go now..."

"You said that ten minutes ago!" Hidan continued to whine, wanting to fill the silence with something else other than the quiet breeze and the odd bird chirping; admittedly he was bored at that moment, he just wanted to get there already-like everything else, Hidan was not one for nature and sight-seeing despite stating it as a coupley-thing to do on dates, he couldn't give a shit.

"Honestly, we're..." Shinko pushed aside a bush and a small grin broke out onto her face as she turned to face him "Alright, we're here."

She pulled him along to the open area; a large lake covered the vast majority of the space, it glistened in the light of the sun, the water looked clean and Hidan wondered if there were any fish in there, tall trees and bushes surrounded the area and just as Shinko had said; it was definitely very well-secluded, there would've been a very slim chance of actually finding this place without his girl's guidance. A few daisies dotted around on the grassy embankment-they swayed in the light breeze. But looking at the sky made Hidan's breath falter. The sun shone around the white fluffy clouds-reminding him of past-times as a child when he would often climb the hill outside his village away from the steam that the Hot Springs would emit and cover the sky, he would lay on the hills and watch the clouds, trying to discern what the shapes they reminded him of and to see the odd bird fly past his vision; moments like those had been rare and his most treasured memories during his horrid childhood-it was something he hated remembering. He always believed that the past should stay in the past, but this brought it all back to him-well, all the good times at least. And at that moment, he felt as if he were reliving his childhood. How many years had he ignored the wondrous beauty of the sky? How long had he been running away from something so _natural_?

He was speechless.

It was almost as if another part of himself-a part he'd lost many years ago once he'd become a strict disciple of the church of Jashin and a murderer, some semblance of his innocence had returned and it felt great-almost overpowering and to know that Shinko, his love, his beautiful monster was the one to bring it back made him feel appreciation to the extreme-it made him realise how much he really did care about the Dhampir.

She was his everything alongside Lord Jashin.

He hadn't realised he'd been staring at her until her hand touched his cheek, concerned onyx eyes-the eyes he adored, staring back into his own.

"Hidan? Is something wrong?"

She sounded concerned and a little guilty?

She should feel no guilt for showing him something as wonderful as this; she'd brought back some part of him he'd lost and although she didn't know it-would probably never understand it, she'd done more for him today than anyone had done for him in years.

"It's beautiful...you're beautiful." He gave her his best grin, placing his hand over hers, pulling from his face and to his lips as he kissed each of her knuckles, whilst staring into her pleased expression, her eyes filled with warmth that her body could never give.

He tugged her forward, seizing her by the waist he brought his lips down to hers in a passionate kiss, it was firm but not animalistic-he knew not to push her boundaries, she was still new to this and he had to admit, he was pleased at the thought that he was her first and would be her only lover. He was happy at the thought of teaching her how to love others and especially how to please him; 'Jashin, we fit so well together!' Hidan thought to himself in ecstasy as her arms wound round his neck and they both pulled themselves flush against each other.

Their mouths open, battling for dominance, his tongue barely missing her fangs in this intimate act of possession over the other, her clothed breasts pressed firmly against his chest, their nails digging into soft flesh of the other, breaths hitching, slurping noises coming from their messy yet toe-curling kiss.

It was dizzying and explosive and eventually, Hidan won the battle for dominance-it was now asserted that he would be the dominant partner and lover in their relationship and after mouthing his thoughts, Shinko looked almost embarrassed but still smiled-she didn't seem to mind so much.

"Stay with me forever." He muttered huskily to her, his eyes filled with a burning fire of lust, possessiveness and some semblance of hope, his breath warm against her cool and kiss-swollen lips, despite her not needing to breath; Hidan was proud to notice that she was pretty breathless, much as he was.

Meeting his gaze without wavering, her own onyx eyes held some sort of light to them that he hadn't seen before; she was still smiling as she replied honestly "Until the ends of time itself."

And they kissed again, enjoying the rare moment of peace and quiet that they knew would not last, for soon, they would both have to face the music and prove just how strong their love is for each other. The ultimate test.

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**A/N: This chapter was kinda a filler chapter again, but I thought that instead of focusing on all the drama and fighting, Hidan and Shinko needed a break to have a moment in normality-something which **_**all**_** couples achieve every now-and-then. I'm quite happy with this chapter myself. **

**Today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki', 'CMinuteByMinute' and 'Akuma Chi' for their wonderful reviews! **

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	25. Time to Break the Silence

**A/N: Wow, it's been a while, ne? I apologise for not updating sooner, I have terrible writer's block with this story at the moment, I already know what I've got to type for the last 5-10 chapters yet I still can't motivate myself to type them. However, lots of things have happened recently, one of them being a friend of the family and my mentor for my writing died last weekend, it was a massive shock since none of us were expecting it! So it's been really sad at home, plus I've been messed around by the jobcentre with my appointment for Monday. *Sighs* Nothing is ever straightforward in life, ne? Enough of that though, please enjoy this ever-fulfilling chapter!**

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**Disclaimer(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense, in other words; shinobi at the level of Genin and Chuunin wouldn't be able to kill an S-class criminals *glares at Shikamaru and Naruto in the Manga book* and I would also make it shorter, over 500 chapters is fucking ridiculous!

**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi, a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki, instead of money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, 4 years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organisation, but, something isn't right, as the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Twenty-Five: Time to Break the Silence**

The almighty leader of the Akatsuki sat at desk in his small and surprisingly tidy office. It hadn't always been like this, his office had always been messy, beer bottles left over from the many nights he had to stay up-holed in his office shifting through the many pieces of paper that just seemed to never end. It wasn't fun. It'd been all thanks to Konan that the office was cleared up, she'd become disgusted at the smell.

It was very interesting to see his woman kick up such a fuss, she'd never done so before and had always left him alone in peace to do as he wished. Until yesterday...

Every morning like clockwork she would bring him a cup of tea and some biscuits to his office, he would always be working late and starting early the next morning, he often felt bad for neglecting Konan, of course the make-up sex was amazing, but he knew deep-down that she was sad, especially when she would catch glimpses of Hidan and Shinko all over each other like the love-struck fools that they are.

He and Konan had once been like that; in the early days of Akatsuki. Theirs had been a whirlwind romance, undying and powerful, he'd always bought her flowers, took her out to eat when he could get away from the burden of being the leader of a criminal organization, they would watch films together, cook together-they'd done almost everything together.

And now...well, the only time they spent together was in the office and he was working most of the time. Konan hadn't complained once, even when he'd missed Valentine's Day earlier this year, she'd forgiven him. Of course he'd tried to make it up to her, he'd run her a bath, lit candles and was going to give her a massage before swiftly moving onto a heated and passionate love-making, but once again, his plans had been tossed aside when Deidara had somehow succeeded in blowing up the kitchen. There was always something getting in the way of their relationship.

However, once they'd gone to the ball together, he had to admit he hadn't seen her smile and laugh like she'd done that evening in a very long time. He missed that about her. They both rarely smiled and laughed these days as it was, but yesterday...he hadn't laughed that hard in a long time.

**/*\*/*\**

Konan came into the office as she did every morning, carrying the small tray of tea and biscuits, she knew Pein appreciated the thought and in a way it was her way of showing that she loved him. Though as of late, they hadn't been able to spend much time together, despite that she weren't about to let it dampen her spirits. Her lover was a very busy man and she knew the burden he carried upon his shoulders, she would do almost anything to relieve that tension and instead of bothering him by asking to do stuff together as they once did...as Hidan and Shinko often did together, she would silently stand by his side and be there for him whenever he needed her.

It was around six in the morning, the others would still be sleeping so she had no fear of anyone seeing her walk around the base in her blue shorts, navy vest-top, pale pink bunny slippers and being completely make-up free with her hair hanging down her back. Pein had always said he loved her like that, fresh and normal-looking. She could always see in his eyes the flash of regret, the fact alone that they couldn't be a normal couple in the middle of a bustling village with friendly neighbours, a decent-sized house, a pet bird and just being married.

Konan sighed to herself wistfully, although she would've loved that, she also respected their positions within this organization, besides, it was a well-known fact that Konan couldn't have children. Of course it hadn't always been so; she had been pregnant in the early years of their relationship. Both she and Pein had been excited by this prospect of bringing life into this world, something they'd created together from their love and they would raise it to follow in their footsteps to make this world a better place. It had been a wonderful dream, one they shared together, Pein had said that after their next assignment they'd get married and find somewhere to settle down quietly for a few years, their best friend; Nagato was prepared to take over whilst they were away. But all dreams come to an end. During a mission, their last assignment, they'd been ambushed, the enemy succeeded in splitting Konan away from her comrades and had been seriously injured, the stab wounds to her womb had been irreversible, not only did she lose their child; their hope, but she also lost the ability to reproduce. For a long time, she and Pein had been devastated; it'd taken them years to build-up their relationship once more after such a loss. Now, it doesn't bother them seeing children playing in the streets with their friends. In fact, their goal for cleansing the world of evil had become more important to them and if anything, their love became stronger and deeper, they now had an understanding of the other and could tell what they're thinking and feeling at almost any given moment.

Adoption had never been suggested, they'd already been told bluntly and harshly by the Gods that they were not meant to have children and knew that brining up a child within such a dark and cruel place would only cause more harm than do any good.

Coming out of her thoughts, Konan simply walked into the office, they had nothing to hide from the other, and they each knew their secrets and thoughts, besides, who else in their right mind would need to see Leader at such a ridiculous time in the morning?

His eyes lit up when she entered the room, wearing a small, tired smile in appreciation that swiftly turned to confusion and concern once she'd sniffed the air, almost dropping the tray and gagging, she'd turned tail and almost ran from the room. Rushing back towards the kitchen, she placed the tea and biscuits there, grabbing the newspaper from the table whilst wearing an apron and a flannel on the lower-half of her face as she swiftly appeared before her lover just as he was leaving the office to follow after her.

He took one look and laughed, very hard, the sound was wonderful to hear after all this silence, even so, Konan couldn't bring herself to see the humour as she shoved the newspaper in his arms, grabbing the sleeve of his cloak, she yanked him out of his office and out into the dark corridor, before stating "You will go and drink your tea and read the paper in the kitchen, whilst I clean this office."

To say he looked shocked was an understatement, she'd never told him what to do before, it'd always been him doing all the commanding and her doing most of the running around...and yet, seeing her being so dominant was also a kind of a turn-on.

"I can see what you're thinking, well, you won't be getting any just yet, your office smells as if something died in there, rotted, was eaten and then puked back up and left in a pile of dirty washing that hasn't been cleaned for a month. When was the last time you actually tidied up in there?" Her eyes narrowed on him and almost slapped a hand to her head in exasperation when her lover stood before her looking very thoughtful.

He had to _think_ for the answer.

"Whatever, you're taking the day off, go relax and do some typical male-bonding with the others whilst I clean this room up." Pein had caught her tone of tiredness and longing, he could probably tell that she wished to spend the day with him instead of him going off with the others for some time-out.

He brushed a hand against her cheek gently and murmured "You don't have to do this for me, I can work fine alone, if I need your help, I'll call you, why don't _you_ take the day-off? You're always running around and never have any time to sit down and pamper yourself."

She knew he was trying to be a gentleman, even so, she moved away from his touch before she became too addicted to it and stated "I'll be fine, go on, if I get tired, I'll stop, alright?"

He watched her silently for a few minutes, before releasing a sigh of defeat; he bent towards her and pressed a small kiss to her cheek, answering "Very well. I shall bring you something to eat in a little while."

After that he'd left for the kitchen and sat himself down at the breakfast table, flicking through the newspaper in his hands as he sipped his tea and munched on some biscuits; he almost totally forgot about Konan slaving away in his office.

Later that morning, Itachi, Deidara and Sasori were sat in the kitchen, Pein had already finished reading the newspaper, Itachi read it afterwards and currently Sasori was flicking through the black and white pages with mild interest, Itachi was reading a book he'd brought from his room with him as he sipped his tea and Deidara was busy fiddling with his clay to take notice of _why_ their leader was sat at the table as if it were an everyday occurrence.

It'd only been when Pein had gone to move from his seat to make a cup of tea to make for Konan that Deidara raised his blond head and narrowed his only visible blue eye at his leader in suspicion "Leader? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your office, hmm?"

Pein whirled around and fixed his stern glare on the blond, catching both Itachi and Sasori's attentions as he snapped "And shouldn't you be somewhere else training?"

The blond blushed in embarrassment, for it'd only been the night before that he'd complained that he wished to use one of the four training rooms in the entire base since he never got a chance and he couldn't practise outside since his techniques were flashy and would attract unwanted attention, so Itachi and Sasori had begrudgingly given up their precious training for the day so that Deidara would stop complaining.

"I was just gonna go, yeah!" The blond protested in his defence which caused Sasori to roll his eyes before looking back to his newspaper, no longer interested.

"Good, now leave." Pein commanded as he turned round and walked over to the kettle, the next time he looked back Deidara had vanished from the room completely. Though the stares of the Uchiha hadn't gone unnoticed.

"What is it Itachi?" He asked politely since the Sharingan-user had always been polite to him and never attempted to cause any hassle; he always kept to himself and rarely got into trouble. He was also well-spoken and gave him respect, damn it was hard to get that around here!

The pale man blinked before asking quietly "Why is it that you aren't in your office sir?"

Pein sighed and only replied "Konan is cleaning my office."

He'd been more than surprised when he'd gotten nods of sympathy from both Itachi and Sasori; in a way, he supposed taking the day off hadn't been a bad thing after all.

**/*\*/*\**

There was a knock at Pein's door signalling the obvious that someone requested his attention. It happened all the time so it rarely fazed him, however, it'd been more frequent as of late since money had been tight.

"Come in." He didn't even look up as the door opened to reveal Hidan, Pein merely continued signing away at various pieces of paperwork that he'd read over at least twice already, it was late afternoon and anytime now Konan will come in with some tea and biscuits again. God, he loved that woman.

The door shut behind his 'guest' and after a few moments of silence an impatient growl escaped the younger male, causing Pein to glance up at him from his desk with tired and rather bored eyes. He'd known it was Hidan even before he'd knocked at the door; the loud-mouth had never been exceptionally good at masking his chakra.

"Yes Hidan, what is it?" He lowered his eyes to his paperwork, his voice sounding extremely tiresome and lacking interest-this annoyed the male albino somewhat.

"Oi, look at me when I'm talking to you dickhead!" Hidan spat, letting his tiny fuse of patience fly out of the window, the male albino really did hate being disrespected, it didn't take much to look at someone whilst they're talking to you, did it? At least that's what Hidan thought. If someone was talking to him, he'd make the bloody effort to turn around and look at the person-it was one of the very few ways to be able to read what the other was thinking.

Pein sent him a piercing glare as he snarled "Do not speak to me in that manner, Hidan, as you can clearly see I've had a very busy day, if you've got something to say; _say it_ and _leave_."

The younger male opened his mouth to shout a retort back at him, but was stopped as the door to the office was opened and revealed Konan, carrying Pein's saviour (tea) over to his desk, she received a loving glance as their eyes met and she swiftly returned to the filing cabinets and the piles of paperwork that had remained untouched since that morning.

Hidan glared at the woman that interrupted him, but he was otherwise ignored, disgruntled by this fact, he didn't let it get to him, after all, he was here for important business, the last thing he needed was Leader declining his proposition. It was for Shinko's benefit after all.

"Listen, I would like permission to take Shinko with me to the bloody Void country to visit her grandfather." Hidan ground his teeth-it took all of his energy to not curse at leader as the man sat in his big chair and sipped his tea calmly as if he hadn't heard a word he'd said, though his statement had satisfactory results to prove that Pein was indeed listening to him, if his splutter on his tea and Konan spinning round to look at them was anything to go by.

Pein cleared his throat and asked "Why do you need to see Tadashii Hoshi?"

Hidan ran a hand through his hair, a small pink tint hitting his cheeks in slight embarrassment as he stated "Well...I've asked Shinko to marry me-"

"You did _what?_" Leader bellowed standing up as he smashed his fists atop his desk, making it shudder and almost break under his weight, this caused both Hidan and Konan to jump at the swift change to Pein's mood; he seemed plenty tired before...it had to be that tea!

Hidan regained his composure and smirked, pride swelling up that Pein almost sounded a little jealous perhaps? He really hadn't wished to tell the others so soon, but figured there'd be no way of getting to see Tadashii without bringing up a strong and valid argument.

"Just as I fucking said, Shinko and I are engaged...or will be once I have permission from her fucking grandpa." Hidan sighed tiredly at this, for he knew it'd take over a month before they'd return, depending on the Tadashii's answer. Though he certainly hoped it was good news, if not, then he'll steal Shinko away and they'd elope, simple as that-even if he were to be turned into one of her kind, he'd do it willingly for her.

"How dare you. You have the fucking audacity to come in here and tell us what you're doing without any warning?" Leader snarled sounding very much like an angry wolf, Konan shivered to herself at the thought, she'd rarely seen him this angry and each time it truly frightened her, for she knew first-hand what he was capable of...

Hidan raised an eyebrow, he was unsure of whether he'd ever heard Leader swear before, the man was livid, no doubt about it, but for the life of him, Hidan just couldn't understand _why_. However, he bristled at how leader was talking down to him like some retarded child "How dare I? I don't think you have the fucking _right_ to tell me what to fucking do, you cunt! I may be an arsehole a lot of the time and bitch like some fucking pregnant slut-but I don't need your _permission_ to have a relationship with _my mate_! She's mine-nobody else's! I certainly don't have any fucking right to tell you how your relationship with Konan should be, so you have no fucking right to interfere in _mine_, you Jashin-heathen-wanker!"

Konan stared wide-eyed at how Hidan's face became rather red, his eyes turning to a shade of red-magenta she'd never seen before, his eyes sparkling in possessive anger, his brow furrowed as he mouth ran away with him, showing off two pointed fang-like teeth, though she knew that Shinko hadn't changed him. Nevertheless, she could almost see why Shinko had felt so attracted to him; he was possessive, needy, arrogant, spoiled and overprotective-not to mention a complete jerk, but for Shinko he was also gentle, caring, amusing, mildly intelligent and had such life in him!

It almost moved the blue-haired female to tears, seeing such spontaneous energy bursting from the seams, she could tell that Hidan was prepared to die for his lady-love, just as it would be the other way around; these two were inseparable and Konan knew that he'd overstepped the mark, yet the male albino wasn't at all fazed by this prospect. He clearly didn't care whether he looked like a fool, he loved Shinko deeply enough to risk everything. Her and Pein used to be exactly like that.

How? How had they fallen into this generic routine; never-ending, never-changing, of course she believed strongly in their cause and how much they'd sacrificed for it and that she'd stay by his side forever, but was it really worth it to have their lives put on-hold? To never move forward? To forever be stuck in limbo? She didn't want any regrets before she died, she didn't want to be alone and think of the 'what ifs', where had their _life_ gone?

"Stop it with that language! You know that I should be forewarned of any engagements or arrangements, we can't have this base discovered!" Leader shouted back, smashing a clenched fist down on the desk once more for more emphasise.

'Stop it...' Konan felt her throat tighten as this terrifying scene unfolded in front of her.

"I can say what I fucking want! And so bloody-what if this pissing place is discovered? That's all you _ever fucking say!_" Hidan retorted, feeling utterly fed-up and sickened with the same statement-almost as if it's a mantra!

'Please...stop it...you have no idea of the burden we carry!' Konan felt the tears welling up in her eyes at this, she was torn between the two, she could see why Hidan was so adamant of fighting for his love, of what he believed in and that he was fed-up with being held back from truly living! She'd desired to do just that for many years, even before she'd fallen pregnant. And yet, she couldn't do it, she loved Pein with all her heart, she knew as he did that they'd given up so much for their cause, all they wanted was peace for the world, to stop the fighting, they only had each other left and she couldn't-wouldn't lose him.

"If this place is discovered then we'll have to move _again_! We don't have the funds to do that!" Pein snarled as his hands clenched in on themselves upon his desk, his grey-ringed eyes seeming to glow at the male albino from across the other side of the office, almost threatening to use one of his most powerful techniques yet to blast him into orbit.

'Stop it! Enough...I've had...enough!' The tears overflowed now down her cheeks, her make-up no doubt ruined, but she didn't care, her shoulders sagged from the weight of the burden they'd carried for years as a sob escaped her causing the two men to stop their fighting and look to her in surprise. She felt her body shaking and yet couldn't bring herself to move, she couldn't see anyway with all this water blurring her vision.

"Konan...what is wrong, my love?" Pein straightened himself, turning he tentatively approached her, no longer caring that Hidan was still in the room staring at the scene with wide eyes that would be found on an innocent and confused child. Pein reached his hands out to touch her, yet didn't, for she was shaking her head at him, her eyes filled with such anguish that his heart squeezed hard from the sight of it. And hadn't he known? He'd known for a long time that his love was breaking slowly, she'd been a pillar for him, holding everything together for him, even when they'd found that she would no longer have children, even when Nagato had died and even after all the times he'd dismissed her suggestions of spending time together-even just for a couple of hours. She worked hard to make him happy and proud, running all over the place for him and never once complaining; always accepting his final answer with a silent nod.

"This isn't right...Pein, you _know_ what I'm talking about! You can't keep two people from loving each other-just because it reminds you too much of how things used to be between us!" Konan continued sobbing, barely seeing the rather guilty look that'd settled on Pein's face.

"I know it hurts...I want us to go back to the way things used to be...I want to be with you forever and yet, I feel like our goal has taken you from me," his head shot up to stare at her in confusion and wonder, though he too felt hurt by her admission, for it was true, he longed to be young again and do couply-things, the things that Hidan and Shinko were doing for each other and yet, all he'd done was hurt his only love. "Here are two people...despite how horrible the world is...with all the fighting, the killing, the murder, prostitution and the greed...against all odds...they find love, there is still hope! I just...I can't believe that for a long time...I'd almost given up on it..."

Her hands went to her face, hiding her tears and sobs into her hands, no longer wishing to be seen; she felt dirty and weak; pathetic even, she was unworthy of Pein's time, he must be disappointed in her!

Hidan watched from the other side of the room in stunned silence, the insult died upon his lips at how pathetic Konan looked, but the raw emotion in her proclamation had silenced him; she was sticking up for him and Shinko. He hadn't needed her help for that, but in a way, he was glad the shouting had stopped, he knew Shinko must've heard some of that and she would've been in the room within a second to fight at his side should it have escalated any further. Though he couldn't help but stare in wonder as Pein brought his arms around his lover, gently pulling her to him as he stroked her back soothingly, his head leaning down to rest near hers, not speaking a word as his love sobbed relentlessly. It made Hidan humble, the scene was very touching, he wasn't one for romantic displays in public, but seeing this...it was truly heart-warming.

They were both in their thirties-or so everyone guessed, no one would've suspected the weight they carried upon their shoulders; the burden of wanting to protect the world from falling in on itself. Hidan knew there was more to their relationship than his eyes could see, it was some deep pain that'd lingered between them. They both looked exhausted, both tired, about to give in, losing hope and almost losing the love between them. Love is meant to last forever, no matter what the circumstances, this was the perfect example of that. These two had stuck together through thick-and-thin...they had lost each other for so long but it seemed now that they'd finally found each other again.

Who was he to interrupt?

Without another word, Hidan bowed his head, turning away from the touching scene, he silently left the office; closing the door behind him, leaving them to have a well over-due heart-to-heart. But Hidan was surprised to find that he didn't mind so much about having to wait before he'd discuss of visiting Tadashii Hoshi. It could wait; they had all the time in the world after all. No, right now, all he wanted was to hold his girl and forget what'd been said.

With the door to the office shut, signalling that the other male had left, Pein's shoulders collapsed, squeezing his lover tightly to him, he felt something wet slide down his cheeks, but didn't care to look for he knew now that years worth of sorrow and regret was pouring through the cracks, leaving them both unable to do anything else but cry not only for the people they'd lost, but also for themselves and what they'd had to shut away, leave behind and lose.

It went unspoken of the love between them, but they had no doubt in their minds that this would be a fresh start for them; shedding a skin to reveal a pair of beautiful butterflies...

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko waited for him in the living area, he was rather silent in his walk back to her and she weren't surprised, she'd heard the fight between him and Leader, it'd emotional and bitter, both trying to get their points across and subtly win over the other. The debate had only been postponed, but right now she didn't care about that. It'd gone pretty silent after Konan's muffled sobs, she too had been touched by Konan's raw emotions and although she figured the blue-haired woman would like some female company, she also realised that this was a problem only Konan and Leader could solve together.

Kakuzu had left the living area over an hour before, deciding to go to the kitchen to read the newspaper and grab a snack; it was obvious that he simply wished to get away from the lovebirds, no doubt this lovey-dovey stuff got to him a bit, though she didn't know why, Shinko gathered that Kakuzu was one of those few men that couldn't handle emotions very well. He had always been a private person.

The door to the living area opened, Hidan stepped into the room and closed the door behind him silently. She watched him walk over to her, his eyes clouded and shining with something that Shinko had never seen before, but didn't speak a word, he kneeled down in front of her and wrapped both of his arms around her tightly, pressing his face into her stomach.

Shinko placed a hand upon his head and gently stroked her fingers through the strands, he was shaking a little, but not crying, it made her wonder whether he could cry, even so, she spoke "Hidan...we don't have to see Tadashii if you don't want too...we can go anytime...yes?"

He lifted his head then, his eyes hard as he stated "No, we will go. I said that I wanted to do this the right way and I damn will. I also know that you've been longing to see him, you keep having nightmares..." She saw the concern in his eyes, it went unmistaken, though she smiled in spite of this and replied "Okay, we'll go, but there's no rush is there? Besides, I can handle my...dreams; you don't have to worry about me."

Hidan rolled his eyes at that and mumbled "Stubborn as usual."

Shinko's smiled grew a little bigger and leaned forward to press a kiss to his mouth.

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**A/N: HOLY CHRIST! This chapter is LONG! Almost four pages longer than it would've been otherwise. Ahem. From here on out the chapter will most likely be longer since the end is in sight-at last! There are certain parts to this chapter that I don't like, but I thought it'd be best to type about the other characters for a bit instead of focusing on Hidan and Shinko all the time. I used Pein and Konan as an example that love can last forever; even through the toughest of times. I'm not sure how many chapters I have left yet-still gotta type them up, but I'm hoping that I can make it to 100 reviews by the end of it! **

**Anyway, today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' and 'Akuma Chi' for their wonderful reviews!**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	26. Intrusion

**A/N: Hi guys, sorry for this rather late update. I've been extremely busy typing on a Wolf's Rain fanfic, then my laptop got a virus which was a bitch to get rid of and this past week I've been busy, so I haven't had the chance to catch-up on this story. But don't worry; I haven't given up on it. Thanks for sticking with this story and to the reviews I got to kick me up the arse, haha! Happy reading!**

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**IMPORTANT NOTICE-PLEASE READ (EDITED): **Okies, so I KNOW I probably confused you all with that last notice, however, I'm editing it cos I no longer have to worry about updating on this story. I am NOT going on that 3 month course, BUT I am still working on my job. So updates should be around the 2-3 week mark considering the LENGTH of the chapters. I will try to update as soon as I can. I'm also sorry about asking for reviews; I don't like doing it and in a way it puts others off, however, please-PLEASE review, cos I really do need the support since everything else in my life keeps changing and I've been hurt by a few things regarding these changes, so please, any support is more than appreciated, many thanks!

**DISCLAIMER(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense. In other words; shinobi at the level of Genin and Chuunin wouldn't be able to kill an S-class criminals *glares at Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto in the Manga book* and I would also make it shorter, over 500 chapters is fucking ridiculous!**

**Summary (EDITED): **Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**Part Twenty-Six: Intrusion**

"What are _you_ doing here?" Pein spoke venomously to the intruder in his office.

It was early hours of the next morning, Pein had only recently finished the last bit of paperwork, he felt relieved and had sent Konan to bed a couple of hours before, since he'd promised that they'd go out later today for a meal and just have a chat. It'd been long overdue, but once again, something always managed to prevent things from happening, this time though, he was pissed off and for good reason.

A red eye flashed at him in the dark corner of his office, the silhouette of the man was barely seen, though was only noticeable by the bright orange-swirly mask he was wearing to cover his face.

A cackle filled the room, making Pein ground his teeth together in annoyance, he didn't understand why this man had to bother him now of all times, he was pretty sure that whatever it was could've waited until later that evening.

"What's wrong, _my friend_? You don't look very happy to see me..." The man's voice was smooth and deep, often the man behind the mask was calculating and deceitful, unforgivable and distrustful, he always gave Pein a reason to be on guard, for the man was always sneaking around; appearing at the worst and most unexpected of times, it often astounded Pein how this man managed to go about the base undetected.

"Of course I'm not happy, Madara, it's the middle of the night and I was just about to retire to my room." Pein snapped, he was exhausted, it'd been a long day full of paperwork, shouting and tears, and now all he wanted to do was go to sleep in his bed and hold Konan to him.

"My-my, you really aren't happy are you?" Another cackle was heard and was only met with silence, for Pein did not say a word, he knew of Madara's short fuse and how angered he could become, as much as he wished to tell the other man to 'piss off' he knew it'd be his head if he did just that.

"Actually, there _is_ a reason for why I have appeared before you. Did you like my little charade?" His voice sounded highly amused-on the verge of laughter and Pein froze; confusion clouded his mind as he found that he couldn't understand _what_ exactly Madara was referring too.

"Charade? What charade?" Pein asked in disbelief, if he was hinting at the charade he was pulling over the entire organization into believing he's a harmless weakling then he'd certainly succeeded, though he couldn't understand _why_ the older and noticeably more powerful male would bring it up. Both himself and Konan knew of his charade for they worked closely with him for years. Though truth be known, Pein was fed-up with Madara's 'disguise' since it meant a lot more unnecessary work for him whilst the older Sharingan-user could go off and laze about in the sun if he so wished it.

A menacing chuckle escaped the other man as he sauntered across the room, stopping before Pein's desk, his gloved hand resting upon a pile of papers; fingering them in what looked to be boredom, though his voice distinctly proved otherwise.

"I'm talking about the one at the ball in Tea country, _remember_?" His voice threatened on the last word and Pein mentally gulped. He was actually thankful that after years of hard-work in criminal acts and keeping the others in his organization in-check he'd also mastered his face into a calm and often bored expression. It was rather rare for him to show much emotion, despite Konan being the only witness to an array of them he expressed in private-mostly in the confines of his office or his bedroom; the others thought he was indestructible and domineering. If he was told the world would end tomorrow, he wouldn't even batter an eyelid; instead he'd hang his cloak up, destroy any and all evidence of his-or rather Madara's organizations criminal affiliations and then spend the remainder of his time left with his love.

But just lately it seemed that Madara had found a way under his skin, as if he'd figured out which buttons to push to garner a reaction from him and try as he might, he really did struggle to keep his cool in front of this arrogant and cruel man.

He gave a deep nod in recognition, for Madara's question didn't really need an answer, the older man would continue on in his musings whether Pein had remembered or not. He figured age must really be getting to the older man; how old was he anyway?

"Prior to the party our lovely little Dhampir discovered my existence, not that I resisted to show her anyway. It was rather humorous to see the horror on her _pretty little face_," he snarled, all humour seeming to have been erased immediately in the mere thought and mention of the female half-breed. Pein had been very much aware that Madara didn't like Shinko in his organization, in a way their personalities _did_ clash, whether they both were aware of it or not. But Pein had remained firm in his belief that she'd be an asset to their band of criminals. However, lately Shinko had been the cause of some dire problems, she'd left the base without permission, fought battles unnecessarily, resulting in the base almost being discovered, she'd had a couple of breakdowns and had caused a lot of panic and worry among the members of his organization. It would stand to light that in Madara's point of view Shinko should be 'gotten rid of'.

Was that the reason why Madara had appeared before him?

"Good thing for her she'd backed off entirely and was clever enough _not_ to breathe a word of it to any of the others. She may not know of me personally, but she's aware of my heritage; she knows I have the Sharingan. I'd have expected her to run off to Itachi and demand if he knew, luckily for _her_ she didn't." Madara continued on a growl as his hand fell from the stack of papers to Pein's desk, purposefully tapping his fingers on the hard wood to irritate yet threaten at the same time. He was displeased by something and Pein failed to understand _why_, if Madara had shown Shinko his Sharingan and she hadn't spoke of the encounter to anyone-including himself or Hidan then there was little to warrant the older man's wrath.

"So I had to take the suspicion off of myself, just in case she _did_ decide to speak of it to anyone, so I devised a cunning plan to pretend that my alter-ego; Tobi is a homosexual with none other than Zetsu." Madara laughed cruelly and Pein felt the colour drain from his face instantly.

How _low_ would Madara stoop as to prove of 'Tobi's' _innocence_? And what of Zetsu? Pein knew for a fact that the plant-like man was asexual; he was neither attracted to the male nor female sex, which left the only possible conclusion that Madara had _forced_ Zetsu to comply with him. Pein felt very sick, of course there was nothing wrong with homosexuality-not in his opinion, it just sickened him that Madara would actually _force_ someone of the same sex and one that isn't even appealing to the eye into pretending to be sexually interested in him just to save face.

"Of course both Hidan and Shinko noticed, though it wasn't long before they thought of me as harmless once more; just as I'd predicted, you see, with the right tact and plan, everything will go the way you want it too, that is why I have a proposition of my _own_-actually, it's an order. So you'll have no choice but to agree with me on this one." Madara's red eye flashed dangerously at Pein, signalling him of the possible dangers he could be placed in should he choose to object.

Pein's jaw clenched slightly at this, he knew whatever Madara had to say wasn't going to be pleasant or easy to stomach and he had the horrid suspicion that it had something to do with the Dhampir since the older man was so avid in mentioning her a lot in their one-sided conversation. Madara must've noticed this-how he did in the dimly lit office completely baffled the orange-haired leader for he heard the older man smirk loudly.

"You will give permission for Hidan to seek out Tadashii Hoshi for acceptance of his engagement to Shinko, _but_ don't expect them to return. I've heard from a contact of mine that the land there is desolate of most life and is riddled with Werewolves from the 'Gekkou' clan, not to mention those Demon Hunters from the 'Youchi' clan that often travel there to hunt. The only thing that can kill a Vampire is a Werewolf after all, ah, you don't seem to like this idea, _tough_, need I remind you of who it was that helped you bring this organization to the promising standards that it's at today? Considering all of the recent followers you'd had if it weren't for _me_, you'd still be running your village, desperately searching for those to do the world _justice_." Madara snarled, his arm flexed out and slammed the stack of papers that Konan had so meticulously piled together for him flew across the room and onto the floor in disarray. Though the mess was quickly forgotten about as he could feel Madara's chakra radiating from him in anger; threatening Pein to not disobey him.

Although Madara rarely interfered in his running of the organization, there were moments when the older man would appear and demand he do something for _him_, but usually this _something_ often cost a lot of money or time, both of which they were lacking on at the moment considering the lack of requests coming through. Even so, it pissed off the orange-haired man that Madara would demand him to drop _everything_ just so that he could have his way once again.

Pein schooled his features to become the stoic mask that he had perfected over the years, taking away the frown so that Madara wouldn't be so displeased at his lack of interest and disgust at this plan.

Just what was the old man scheming now?

"I believe a little test is in order for the young lovebirds. If they wish to be together _forever_," the red eye rolled in irritation at this but continued "then it's only fair that they prove their worth. I mean, c'mon, Hidan isn't exactly worth it is he? And Shinko, sure she's a good fighter, but she's so moody. They can easily be replaced."

Pein stood up, a subtle challenge to Madara. Of course Pein may not be as powerful as Madara, but who said power was needed to win a fight? The older man was going senile, Pein was certain of it, the crazy, old man would no doubt slip-up in his moment of madness and Pein would succeed with his intellect and patience. The one thing Madara didn't have is patience. It was even over-played on 'Tobi's' character.

"Hidan and Shinko may have faults and their abilities may not be as effective as yours or Konan's, but they certainly have potential and have so far proven me wrong by judging them negatively in the past. They work well together and have done nothing to warrant this scheme on them; you're hiding something and you're determined for Shinko and Hidan to be the ones to discover this secret." Pein glared at Madara, forgetting momentarily of whom exactly he was talking too and that he'd allowed some form of emotion show upon his usually expressionless face.

Madara's red eye narrowed on him, though his other hand waved his statement off casually, as he replied in mock interest "Be that as it may, you and I both know that it is unwise to allow two members to marry within the organization, just the same as having contact with a marital partner outside of this organization is equally forbidden. Being lovers isn't all that bad, is it?"

Pein's anger flared, Madara was deliberately pointing out the obvious and throwing it in his face that he and Konan had never thought to marry since they believed it would jeopardize their goal. Besides, they had no right to happiness after all the misery they'd caused in order to heal the world. Yet the older man found it rather hilarious.

Madara cackled once more, seeming to be unfazed at Pein's rush of anger and that he was gripping the edge of his desk almost painfully, though turned away, keeping his back to Pein as he slowly stepped towards the door, he stated "You _will_ do as I say, believe me, it'll be worthwhile in the end, you should have _faith_ in your comrades," the older man snorted at his comment "if you believe I am being unfair, then send Kakuzu along, he too can be replaced."

Madara's faint cackle could still be heard ringing through his ears, even after the older man had left the office-or rather the base completely. Pein deflated instantly, his grip loosening on the desk to find it rather dented with cracks due to his in-human strength; he let out a shaky sigh once again taking his seat in the chair. All thoughts of sleep dispersing before him. There was no way he'd be able to sleep now. He brought his hands up to his face, and sighed heavily once more.

Just how was he going to tell Konan of this?

**/*\*/*\**

A whimper cut across the chilled silence.

It was the middle of the night and on the other side of the base that a lone figure sat huddled in the corner of a room similar to a lounge with four very different and distinct doors running on from the same room into other territory. The shaking form of a female facing the wall in the darkness with shining blue eyes that were leaking tears continued to rock herself back-and-forth hardly aware of the small whimpers that left her throat.

She'd been sat here for half an hour already and if anything; she hadn't calmed down.

Her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, keeping herself from falling backwards onto the floor, her long white hair hung around her like a veil, successfully hiding her face from any who dared to come near her and ask _why_ she was crying.

Of course no one would. She wasn't expecting nor wanted sympathy, she was tired and although she wouldn't admit it; she was frightened. Not for herself; oh no, she could hardly care about herself in the midst of what she'd learned. Instead of going to her soon-to-be fiancé and confide in him as she _should_, she found her body locked in place-refusing to go to him, just in case he'd recently bled within his room.

She hated it when he self-harmed himself; especially on missions. Usually, she was able to control herself around the scent of his or anyone else's blood, but when she hungered or was provoked she became..._someone else_. She didn't like this _someone else_ but knew that if it weren't for this _other person_ then she wouldn't be sat here as she was now...crying to herself like a pathetic weakling.

But it weren't her choice to come out into the living area and cry; she just had to leave her room. It was as if the walls were enclosing around her and out here, she felt that she could breathe, which was _very_ strange considering she'd never been claustrophobic in her entire life!

She didn't bother to wipe the tears that flowed down her now rather puffy-red cheeks, there was no need, no would come and find her, no one would notice anything different about her except for the minor facts that she was shaking, whimpering and sat in the corner rocking herself back-and-forth, back-and-forth...as if she were mad.

Perhaps she was?

Insanity was easy to attain, being in the same line of work as she is and knowing what she is and what she could easily inflict on others if she didn't keep herself inline was more than enough to push her limits. But this...this was just messed-up.

Crying, showing emotion, a monster sat whimpering in the corner in fright all alone; how ironic. What right did she have to cry? She had lost that right after she'd killed so many innocents for her own selfish needs. She's a cruel, cold and violent monster that deserves to be locked away rather than allowed to carry on in the world _free_ and _thirsting_ for blood-despite her best intentions.

She sniffed a few times, feeling some snot trickling from her nose and roughly with naturally enhanced speed she wiped her nose clean upon the sleeve of her shirt that she'd worn to bed. She thought nothing of the damp stain it left behind, for now her airways were free if only for a short while.

She hadn't needed enhanced hearing for her ears to catch onto the sounds of footsteps, they were light and well-practised, they belonged to someone who had learned etiquette. She knew who they belonged too, even so, she made no effort to move, to wipe away the tears and _pretend_ everything was beautiful like the sunshine-when it clearly wasn't nor did she even acknowledge the presence of the other.

The footsteps stopped behind her and then silence...

She didn't need to turn around to know that the other hadn't left; she knew the other was stood there merely watching her probably in mild interest and disgust.

"You and I both know that you don't belong here, so let's cut to it-shall we? Do you honestly think you're _worth_ anything here? Do you seriously _believe_ that Hidan loves you? C'mon! Even he admitted it himself that he only hooked up with women just for sex!" A dark, cynical laugh followed after the statement, causing the woman to grind her teeth together in anger as she saw red and sprung round upon her hands and knees-ready to pounce on the other, tears still running down her cheeks, though she paid little heed as she came face-to-face with...nothing.

There was no one there...

Looking about herself avidly, successfully glancing around the furniture and the room with her night-vision to find nothing out of place, all four doors remained shut and nothing looked touched or moved.

Had she really conjured up such a voice?

"I'd watch your back if I were _you_." The voice from directly next to her right ear, as if someone had leant in to threaten her on a low growl, the sudden sound causing her breath to hitch as she could've sworn she'd felt the warm breath of a _human_ upon her skin. Her body shook in fury and fright at whatever this being was that could move faster than her eyes and in the dark as well. She snapped her head round and once again found nothing. The air seemed to shift and become light and the woman allowed her guard to drop. A choked sob escaped her throat as she turned away from the room to face the wall once more, this time bringing her hands up to her head to grip almost painfully at the white strands, her sobs becoming an octave higher.

She remembered distinctly who the voice belonged too and it sent a shiver tickle down her spine at the realisation, it was obvious his words had been unsympathetic and chosen carefully to garner a reaction. Worse of all, it'd done the trick, though had only served to make her feel more panic. Her nerves were jumpy and the fright still hadn't completely left her system.

The man or whoever the man was beneath that orange swirly mask had visited her, threatening her subtly and toying with her as she often would with her prey except now the tables had turned. What made her feel worse was knowing that she couldn't tell anyone about him. She had an inkling that Pein must know who he really was or at least what he was capable of and that he had the Sharingan. The others didn't seem to have a clue and she daren't ask Itachi, for one thing they'd rarely spoken to each other and she had no right to shove her nose into others' family affairs.

What could he possibly gain by taunting her?

In the midst of her thoughts she'd briefly heard the grunts and curses of none other than her love from within his bedroom-no doubt he'd just awoken. He must've heard her whimpering and in a futile effort to stem this sudden madness, she quieted down as best as she could, though small whimpers still escaped her. She heard the springs of his bed move under his weight as he left the bed. Upon hearing his footsteps, the woman bared her teeth in her panic and quickly bit her fangs into her arm, cutting off anymore source of her noise.

Silence once again resumed and despite her best efforts, it'd done little to sway him as his bedroom door was roughly yanked open. She didn't need to look at him to know he was standing in the doorway, no doubt holding that pike that he always had connected in his belt underneath his cloak as a last resort should he lose his three-bladed scythe.

"Who the fuck would wake me up at this bleeding hour?" His snarl was low and threatening, the worst time to catch him was in the middle of the night, he never did enjoy being awoken by something other than himself. Though he must've caught sight of her sat in the corner of the room, since he held little in the ways of jutsu's he had trained his eyes to notice shapes in the dark. It often came in handy on assassination missions.

She faintly heard his breath falter as his heartbeat picked up and his rough voice question her name in confusion almost as if his eyes were betraying him.

"Shinko?"

She didn't reply and instead continued to remain where she was sat, shivering as her teeth remained in her arm and blood began to flow down her arm and dripping off her elbow in steady flows, the scent didn't attract her, but she knew as soon as he sniffed the air that he'd caught the scent of it and was stalking towards her within a minute, breathing heavily, his voice shaking as he asked "I smell blood...it's yours, isn't it?"

She didn't reply, even as he knelt by her side, placing the pike down behind him, he put a comforting-yet firm hand upon her shoulder, giving it a squeeze, he snarled "What happened? Were you attacked?"

Shinko disconnected her jaw from her arm, only feeling a dull ache considering the fright still hadn't left her, but had certainly dulled now that Hidan was here with her. She turned to face him and in the dark she noticed his eyes narrow, from the small glow of the moon spilling in through the small window of the lounge room he could clearly see the blood around her lips.

"What the fuck-?" He questioned bitterly, before his hand shot up to her face, gripping her by the chin in a rather hard grip, he studied her intently, now noticing her wet cheeks and distraught expression. Her eyes...so sad and full of pain.

"Why the fuck are you crying?" His voice was firm, leaving her little room to brush the topic off as nothing of interest, he'd seen her cry a few times before, but this'd been the first time that she'd actively sought out an area that was frequently used by others. Usually in her grief she'd disappear to be alone and gather her thoughts, but this was different.

"Hidan..." She whimpered, sounding in pain and it made him let her go thinking that perhaps he was causing her some discomfort. Within a second she threw herself on him, burying her face into his chest, her left arm hooking around his back to hold herself to him, he felt more of her tears spill out and drip onto his bare chest, heard too her shaky breaths and small whimpers. Gently, he placed his arms about her, he knew she was bleeding somewhere, but wasn't sure where exactly, either way he didn't wish to aggravate the wound. Confusion etched his thoughts and then aggressive anger flared through his system as he quickly forgot of the temptation that the scent of her blood held to him.

Someone had hurt her and he weren't sure who, his mate was in pain and he was almost powerless to do anything about it. _Almost_. Hidan knew he wasn't the best person to seek comfort from, but he also knew for a fact that he was probably better at doing it than Kakuzu or Pein. In his opinion they were both stuck-up arseholes that were too caught up in their own lives to notice anything going on around them.

"I thought I'd lost you...I couldn't find you...and when I _did-_" she cut herself off as a rather loud sob broke from her and she hugged closer to him for comfort, more tears flowed from her eyes and Hidan found himself understanding what was wrong with her. With a heavy sigh, he murmured "You had another one, huh?"

She gave a few frantic nods as her reply and he allowed his eyes to close, placing a few kisses on top of her head, one of his hands resting upon her back and stroked soothingly in hopes of calming her, but inside he found himself utterly helpless.

For the past four nights Shinko had been experiencing night terrors, each becoming worse than the others beforehand. Each feeling more real and disturbingly detailed than the others. Of course tonight was the only one she'd been this frightened, the other nights she'd woken up either screaming, crying or cursing at whatever she'd been dreaming of. Naturally, he was there to comfort her when she accepted it, but tonight...well, it _had_ to have been something pretty bad to garner such a reaction.

"Don't be so fucking silly, you haven't 'lost' me, I'm right fucking here, aren't I? Look," he angled her head up with his other hand, their eyes catching hold of each other's instantly, he noticed the curious glint written in her eyes that glowed at him through the darkness that without having spent years with her and falling in love with her would he have been rather creeped out at how they lit up. Without a further thought his lips met hers, differing from being gentle and rather forceful, she remained uncooperative for some moments, the tension was still clear as she remained rigid where she was leaning against him, her lips unmoving and hard as stone. However, once his tongue licked across her bottom lip did she finally respond and granted him entrance to her mouth. Their tongues danced carefully-avoiding contact with her fangs and eventually Hidan won due to Shinko's sleepless exhaustion.

He pulled back slowly and watched her with magenta eyes as she sighed tiredly and leaned towards him, resting her head against his bare chest once more, she breathed in his scent and mumbled something akin to an apology, but he wouldn't hear of it as he continued to rub soothing circles upon her back and muttered "Don't fucking apologise to me, I don't know what the fuck is making you have these nightmares, but I'm willing to try _anything_ to make em stop."

And once again the words of the _other_ Tobi returned to Shinko's mind, echoing off the inner-walls of her head as she angrily reprimanded herself mentally to ignore those comments. Hidan _may_ have been like that, but that's just the way he was, she knew he loved her and wouldn't betray her trust. Especially since she'd easily castrate him so that he wouldn't ever be able to betray her again, tear his tongue out so he would no longer talk, gouge his eyeballs out so that he would no longer _look_ at another woman-_ever_ and permanently sew his hands together so that they wouldn't grope anything other than his own arse ever again.

Those thoughts quickly made Shinko feel sickened by herself, how could she so easily think of harming Hidan in ways that even he wouldn't be able to prevent from happening or heal from without assistance from Kakuzu or someone else?

She didn't wish to think of such things, especially in her exhaustion, the last few nights had been taking their toll on her and having completely forgotten about her previous thoughts and concerns, she found herself dozing, feeling calmer and comforted in Hidan's arms, with his head resting upon hers and a hand rubbing back-and-forth along her back. Oh, how easy it would be to sleep like this.

The blood from her wound stopped flowing and instead was slowly mending itself, though the red tracks of dried blood remained on her right arm, she figured she could wash it off later. Hidan sniffed the air once more and must've noticed that the blood had stopped flowing for he breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed his own tense body.

However long they remained that way, neither of them knew, but in the midst of her sleep, Shinko felt herself being lifted and carried in strong arms, though she was much too tired to complain and welcomed the warm darkness that consumed her tired body with the scent of her lover in her nostrils she continued on in a dreamless sleep and didn't once cry out or wake-up.

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**A/N: Finally! I've updated! XD Gosh, it was SO hard to type this chapter, I changed the second-half of this chapter at least four times! But I'm happy with the result and it's a little longer than the previous one if I'm correct :) So sorry it's rather late, but I shall hopefully have the next chappie out in a fortnight-if things all go to plan.**

**Anywho, today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'Hybrid301', 'xXLoveXxXIsXxXDeadlyXx', 'Aiko of the Akatsuki' and 'Akuma Chi', thank you ALL for your support, without your reviews I wouldn't have updated this until next month! O.o**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	27. A Vision in Slumber

**A/N: Hi guys! Wow…it has been a while, ne? I cannot express how truly sorry I am for keeping you all waiting! I had writer's block AGAIN; the fucking thing won't leave me alone! Also, my Saturday job has now become a weekend job…which is a GOOD thing, but usually leaves me exhausted for the rest of the week. Also, I was slightly disappointed that I only got 2 reviews for my last chapter since I put a lot of effort into it, but I quickly got over my disappointment as I've now reached; 70 reviews for this story! :D I am quite ecstatic and am still aiming for my goal of 100 reviews by the end of this story. As for **_**how long**_** this story will go on for, I am not quite certain myself, since after re-reading through the chapters, I found that I'd typed it'd take Hidan, Shinko and Kakuzu a **_**month**_** to get to the Void country and I intend to stick to that statement since it IS far away from the base. So now I'm needing to come up with some fresh material to just add in for about 3-4 chapters that will explain what will happen over the month of their travels; I don't intend to make the fillers (though I'm not sure if that's what they'll become) all that long. Suggestions will be appreciated, but I may not use them in light of something else that may pop-up. I already have the ending planned out, but I just need to get from here to the last few chapters, which means more painstaking preparation and extra-long typing sessions! Even so, please continue with your support, any questions will be answered and a shout out will be (as usual) at the end of each chapter; simply because I don't like clogging up the beginning of the chapter, I always get put off by that in stories, so I try not to do it here. Sorry for the long explanation, now go read! XD**

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**Summary:**Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense. In other words; shinobi at the level of Genin and Chuunin wouldn't be able to kill an S-class criminals *glares at Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto in the Manga book* and I would also make it shorter, over 500 chapters is fucking ridiculous!

**Part Twenty-Seven: A Vision in Slumber**

In the midst of darkness, Hidan opened his eyes and found himself alone, although he was warm, he didn't feel comfortable. All around him there was nothing, no matter where he looked or how many times he blinked, it all remained the same. Much like that of a blank canvas.

"Hidan…"

Had he conjured the voice up from nowhere? He weren't too sure, but it sounded as if the person was far away and seemed almost familiar…

"Hidan." The soft and definitely feminine voice called out his name again, it sounded closer this time and he turned his head this way and that, looking out for whoever it was that was calling for him.

Where was she?

Everything remained the same, there was just shadows suffocating the air around; clinging to him like pieces of wet clothing and he couldn't help the slight panic from entering his body as his heart sped-up.

Where was he? Why was he here? Where was _here_ exactly?

In an attempt to think rationally-or to some moral degree of rational thought that he could possibly (or rather impossibly) be capable of using when called upon, he figured this was some sort of dream, though he didn't remember falling asleep or anything else in particular, it was like his mind was empty and his body weightless.

"Hidan!" The sudden shout made him jump slightly and spin round to face the voice that'd come from behind him.

His breathe caught in his throat at the sight before him.

A young girl, with flowing white hair that swept behind her as she ran towards him, her small white dress crinkled as she ran towards him, her arms stretched out to grab him, her face frantic; desperate. Though, he stood there for a moment confused by this apparition of sorts since there was an eerie white light that transfixed about her body. However, as soon as his eyes connected to her shining blue orbs; he gasped.

There was something _very_ familiar about this girl, but he couldn't remember exactly where he'd met her before, her name was on the tip of his tongue and he fell into thoughtful silence.

His hands itched at his sides as the girl continued running towards him, yet didn't seem to be getting anywhere very fast, almost as if time had slowed down, giving his tired brain some time to think.

He blinked and watched in confusion as the girl started to blur, frantically he rubbed his eyes, trying to correct his vision and catch another glimpse of the young girl so that he could place her in his mind, yet his mouth fell open a little as he watched the small form twist and turn, her outline bubbling and stretching before a much taller-but noticeably feminine figure became prominent and after blinking once more to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, he almost yelped when he noticed that the darkness that had surrounded him only moments before had become a starry night sky of deep midnight blue and a full, white moon seemed to shine with its own light and gave him enough light to see what looked to be the same girl…but older and dressed differently.

This girl, no, young woman now stood calmly before him had longer hair and her clothes had changed as well, for now she was wearing a short black skirt, mid-blue shirt, short, fingerless black gloves and lace-up black, platform boots that stopped before her knees.

She looked very attractive indeed and he found himself mesmerized by this woman, yet the clothes and the hair weren't things that he was particularly bothered about, although they made her look so much more beautiful, it was her eyes. The same piercing blue eyes that shone at him through the darkness that caught him in her gaze and trapped him there, unable to move or think coherently.

And yet, only one word registered in his thoughts and he voiced this word out loud "Shinko."

The woman gave her a warm smile and all of a sudden his head began throbbing, flashes of his time with this woman; Shinko flooded to the surface and brought about so many emotions from hate to love and anger to happiness.

For a moment it was all too much and his eyes closed shut tightly and it was almost as if he were taken on a rollercoaster ride through all of their shared memories.

As his eyes opened he felt a large lump fill his throat, making it almost impossible to speak and his eyes burned with unshed tears as the euphoria of emotions left him bereft, but the love for this woman remained. Shinko. _His_ Shinko.

How she was here was a mystery, but he didn't care, she was beautiful in all sense of the words, although she flaws; to him, that made her perfect and she was all his.

In a sudden burst of energy, he found himself in control of his body once more, in a instant he raised his arms out towards her, returning the smile, upon seeing this, she ran into his arms and they embraced each other tightly, as if they hadn't seen each other in years.

"Shinko…oh, my Shinko…I don't give a damn if this is a dream, you're fucking _here_ and look so beautiful…" He muttered into her hair as he stroked the white strands between his fingers, finding that they were soft and seemed to flow back down her back like woven silk. Hidan breathed in her scent and found himself relaxing in her embrace, he almost wished they could stay like they were forever.

It didn't matter whether this was reality or not, as long as she was by his side, he felt that he could conquer the world.

"Hidan…time is running out…" Her voice was soft and soothing, but in reality, it sent shivers down his spine and made his blood run cold. She didn't sound like herself; her voice seemed…hollow somehow.

He pulled back a little, keeping his arms about her, so that she wouldn't disappear from his sight for a moment for fear of her leaving him alone.

"What the fuck are ya talking about?" His eyes narrowed on her in suspicion and confusion.

Why would time be running out? Here they had eternity. Time was slowing down for _them_.

She continued smiling up at him sweetly, though it made him want to wipe it off her face, it was creeping him out and looking to her eyes he found them dimming, the shine leaving them slowly. Panic ebbed at the recesses of his mind.

"I need to leave…I need to return…to where it all started…time is running out…I must return."

If there was one thing he hated, it was riddles, but this riddle was rather simple and easy to understand. Shinko was never one for cryptic clues, though she was damn near impossible to understand, she never gave anyone the run-around…at least not intentionally.

"Return? Ya mean to your grandpa-right?" Hidan questioned in uncertainty.

She nodded and murmured almost sensuously "That's correct. You must listen to me, Hidan…soon, very soon, a decision will have to be made, a very tough decision and depending upon the results of that decision we will either both remain as one or none at all."

"A decision? About what?" Hidan raised his voice to a near shout in frustration.

She remained still for what felt many long minutes, before shaking her head from side-to-side, her eyes had dimmed to a grey and they appeared sad, it made his heart clench at the sight. He hated seeing her unhappy.

It was after what felt like many minutes of silence that he found that an answer wasn't forthcoming and sighed aloud, recapturing her attention.

"It was just as Kakuzu said…everything dies. It has to end someday…I didn't think you would, you're eternal like me, we don't last for the present, we are forever!" Hidan exclaimed in confidence.

Shinko reached up and laced her fingers through his hair gently; she closed her eyes slowly and muttered "My grandfather once said something along the same lines. 'Everything will end someday'. If I die, then so be it, going back is very dangerous, but it's something I must do. I need to lay the past to rest if I have any for a future. I am a hunter, but I am also being hunted. Do you understand?"

Hidan was hesitant, he understood exactly what she meant, but he wish he didn't, he had a feeling something terrible was going to happen if they actually went through with travelling to the Void country, yet it was inevitable, Shinko needed this and quite frankly, he needed it too. A break sounded rather nice.

"I won't let you die." He snarled in possessive anger. He'd rather rip his own heart out to feed to the dogs or rather bow down to a village leader than let her die.

Her eyes became darker but her smile remained, this time, it appeared happier and she whispered "I know…I know…"

She bowed her head for a moment, as if trying to hide something from him; he didn't like that. He went to pull her to look at him again, but when her body began to tremble in his arms did he call her name.

"Shinko?"

No response.

There was something strange happening to her, yet he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

He was about to press further for an answer, concerned that something was wrong, but his words fell silent when a low snarl reached his ears, again, it'd come from behind him and within a flash, he looked over his shoulder to find a pair of bright yellow orbs glowing at him, the silhouette of a giant monster was massive, the body was black like ink, yet slowly, the ink drained from the body into a puddle on the floor, reaching his feet, though he wasn't interested at this point.

He could only stare with wide eyes at the monstrous sight before him. It looked like a wolf, yet it stood on its hind legs, it towered over him completely, glaring down at him, the fur that covered its body was a rather pretty shade of pale brown, but the gruesome set of sharp teeth that opened in front of him refocused his attention on the beast before him.

It had to be one of those _creatures_ that ran amok in the Void country, he was sure of it, that he been the description he and Kakuzu had been given before the mission (it was one of the very few things he remembers Leader mentioning on the briefing of the mission before they'd set out on it) and he was most certain that the _creature_ was what he and Kakuzu had almost ran into which resulted in them spending the night in a tree.

Hidan saw the _creature_ lean down, readying itself to pounce and Hidan acted, though surprised that his body was moving _very_ slowly, panic overwhelmed him, attempting to turn, grab Shinko and make a dash for it to safety, but the _creature_ was faster than he and pounced on him a snarl, its jaws encompassing him and his world went dark as he swiftly fell into reality upon hearing a loud crash and flew up in his bed panting and coughing.

**/*\*/*\**

By the time morning had come around, Shinko found herself unwilling to move, she felt warm and cosy, nights of lost and barely any sleep left her cranky and deprived. She'd finally had a decent nights' sleep and wanted nothing more than to turn over and sleep the entire day away.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

It was a clock, the noise constant and blared through her head thanks to her sensitive ears.

But something wasn't right here...didn't she smash her last alarm clock into tiny pieces because of its incessant ticking?

So why was the ticking continuing? She didn't remember replacing her old one, after that alarm clock she made a solemn oath to never buy an alarm clock ever again. There was only so much her sensitive ears could take and non-stop ticking was one of the few things that surprisingly caused her discomfort.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

A growl escaped her throat, realising that it was futile to try and sleep; she opened her eyes, immediately they turned to the usual piercing blue as she searched through the rather dark room, looking for the source of the noise. However, she found herself rather surprised to find herself in a room other than her own. Whose room was this?

A snore suddenly sounded next to her, almost making her jump, the noise was familiar. Turning her eyes to her right she found Hidan laid spread-out next to her, his mouth open and some drool was slowly dribbling down the corner of his mouth. She frowned at that, in any other situation, she would've licked it away, but considering who knows how long it'd been leaking out and that he had morning breath; which would easily be conquered by cleaning his teeth, she decided against it.

Not that those things ever bothered her to begin with, yet her irritation at being so rudely awoken didn't improve her mood by any and immediately took to sulking as usual.

She was definitely _not_ a morning person, that's for sure.

Even so, she couldn't help but allow her gaze to travel down his slightly muscled chest and down towards the thin sheet that lay over one leg, entangled with his left foot, whilst the other hung slightly off the side of the bed, bent at the knee, giving her a perfect view of his crotch area covered by a pair of thin black boxers and those toned legs that were spread apart.

Effectively she turned her head away before she gave herself a nosebleed and instead focused on searching for that damned demon of a so-called alarm clock.

Yet, whilst scanning for the accursed thing, she allowed her gaze to take in Hidan's room, for this had been the first time she'd been in his bedroom. Actually, all of the Akatsuki members were particularly private-especially when it came to their bedrooms. That's why each trio had a 'living area' or rather a small lounge room to themselves, so that if they were to be disturbed or to see a particular member then they wouldn't have to worry about trespassing or feel that their own privacy was being invaded.

The walls to Hidan's room were pale, presumably a pale cream, though all over the walls there was splashes of dried blood; she could tell by the scent it exuded and almost seemed to surround her, however, she was not susceptible at this moment. In fact, upon first waking up after a nights' sleep, Shinko was most unlikely to drain a victim of its blood and instead had more control over herself. It was odd considering that she would be half-awake and barely comprehending of what she was doing.

The carpet was dark and worn, also covered with large patches of dried blood. The curtains to his single window were frayed at the bottom and were also of a darker shade of colour.

Surprisingly, Hidan's room was quite small, at least, smaller than she'd pictured it to be, though it was definitely bigger than hers.

Upon her left there were double-doors which she presumed led to a built-in wardrobe of sorts. Directly across from the bed, there was a chest of drawers. Upon the chest of drawers there were some manly products which consisted of hair gel, a hairbrush and deodorant. There was also a small rack that held four closed scrolls, they seemed to be the only clean and neat thing in the room. Of course there was a square mirror above the chest of drawers, but there was a slight crack in the corner which led her to presume that Hidan had become rather enraged at one point or another and had thrown an object of sorts at it in frustration. On the far right of the room there was a massive symbol of Jashin embedded in the wall along with various other words that were in another language.

Shinko cocked an eyebrow at that, of all things, she hadn't expected Hidan to be a linguist of sorts, then again, most religions were based upon a text of sorts and most-if not all of them, originated from an ancient dialect that had been translated over many generations. The words of the old ways would long be forgotten...but perhaps Hidan hadn't forgotten?

Shinko never understood her mate's obsession with his God, not that she resented him for it, but just that she had never been brought up within a religion, but rather...an unusual lifestyle. She respected Hidan's love of his God and would never ask him to forget or give up on his religion. It is Hidan's life and choice after all, she couldn't very well tell him to stop doing something which he'd been no doubtedly worshipping for years. I was like telling Shinko to not drink blood or Kakuzu to stop obsessing over money.

But don't get her wrong. Hidan's continuous preaching and ramblings of his God often got on her last nerve and she found herself itching to smash his mouth shut forcefully more occasionally lately and who could blame her? Though, the same could be said for others as well. She also got fed-up with Kakuzu's usually long and dreadfully dull bounty missions which although came out heavily rewarded was otherwise insignificant in comparison to their actual mission that was handed to them by Pein himself. Then there was Deidara and Sasori's obsession with art; just like an old married couple, although she loved art and found many aspects of it beautiful, she also found the topic tedious. She could go on, but listing down all of the obvious things made her head throb and where in blazes is that damn clock?

She glanced to the side table next to Hidan and she felt a vein work in the side of her head. Of course the damn thing would naturally be on _his_ side of the bed! Well, no matter, she will no longer put up with it anymore.

Staring at the clock it stood at just before seven in the morning, now glaring at the noisy thing, she crawled across the bed, leaning over Hidan with her chest across his stomach, she mentally smirked as he struggled to breathe but continued on as normal after a few moments of warranted silence. A scowl crossed Shinko's face as her right fist curled up and then lifting it above the little red alarm clock that almost appeared to be shivering in fright; she brought her fist down and smashed it along with the side table into many pieces.

Hidan shot up in bed and began coughing on the small dust-cloud that'd formed from the impact of his now broken furniture. This action took Shinko by surprise as she almost flew across the room, but instead found herself on her hands and knees on the floor, a growl emanating from her throat as she'd felt the hard carpet burn against her knees.

"What the fuck?" Upon his exclamation, Shinko made her presence known as she stood up from the floor and dusted herself down slightly, barely glancing out of the corner of her eye as Hidan continued spluttering, before sneezing loudly.

"I understand the term; 'bless you' is blasphemous to your God, so I won't say it." She grumbled sleepily, wiping a hand across her face.

All noise stopped from the male albino, staring at her it suddenly dawned upon him that he'd been the one to carry her into his room in the night when he'd found her outside whimpering and crying. Yet strangely, she'd seemed to drop off to sleep almost immediately once he'd picked her up. He gave a mental shrug and decided that it was just coincidence that she should feel safe in his company.

But of course, it was only a matter of time before his gaze fell onto the broken side table and alarm clock, he even allowed his mouth to fall open, gaping at the destruction with confused and angered eyes, though he didn't need to find out who the culprit was, for she was stood before him with the most bored and sleepy expression he'd ever witnessed.

Though, that didn't quell the rising anger.

"What the _fuck_ did you do to my shit?" Hidan implored loud enough to make Shinko wince at the noise and whilst her ears were still ring from the shrill shout, a loud banging could be heard on the other side of the wall.

"Would you quiet down in there? It's too early for this, everyone else is still asleep!" Kakuzu exclaimed loud enough for the zealot to hear, however, it didn't have the desired effect.

"Like I give a fuck about them wankers! They can screw off for all I care!" Hidan retorted, his cheeks burning and his eyes narrowing on Shinko in anger.

The Dhampir merely sighed and didn't even bother to offer an explanation as to why a couple of his possessions had been smashed beyond repair, his blatant anger was enough to silence her; he wouldn't even listen to rational reasoning anyway.

Kakuzu growled to himself, picturing the Jashinist in a cauldron of boiling hot oil and being burned alive, whilst he would be standing there watching in pure malice, ignorant to the begging screams to 'make it stop'. He might even have some popcorn purely for the entertainment purposes.

In fact, it was so tempting to actually waltz into Hidan's room, subdue him and drag him into the middle of the base and do just that whilst selling tickets for the other's to come and watch the show.

"Such thoughts are not wise, right Kakuzu?"

Kakuzu froze from where he was stood to the side of Hidan's door, between the zealot's room and the bathroom which he'd only recently left after hearing the horrid screeching of his partner echo through his sleep-induced mind. It really had been too early for that.

He remained stood as he was, not given a second thought to what anyone would think of him stood there dead-still in a black tank top and equally dark shorts; his usual sleeping attire. Of course he was mask-less, his arms, legs and feet were all on display to the wandering eyes of other's. But in the light of the situation, he didn't care.

He reasoned with himself to calm down, letting out a long breath, he slowly turned his aching body to glance at Shinko over his shoulder; mentally he wasn't surprised that she'd appeared behind him within a millisecond, he really should've been careful with his thoughts; Shinko could read thoughts. Yet, it was the shock of not expecting her to appear so suddenly behind him as she had.

Shinko looked half-asleep and rather annoyed, though he was quick to assume it was Hidan's screeching like a moody, pregnant woman that'd annoyed her more than his thoughts ever could. She remained stood behind him, in her long-sleeved plain white shirt and black trousers. It always surprised him to see her in trousers, she was always in a skirt; her reasoning for this had been that it was easier to manoeuvre about during her travels and spars. Even so, he weren't about to trade in his trousers for a skirt anytime soon.

"Good morning, Kakuzu, I trust you slept better than I." It was more of a statement which was accompanied by a yawn and then the same hand entangled into her unkempt hair, frowning a little at the knots.

He turned to face her at the start of a normal conversation and snorted in reply, muttering "It would've been better if I hadn't had to hear his screeching at this time in the morning."

His statement was answered with a jerk of her head; she agreed with him.

Yet the peace never lasted long before curses rang through the air, followed by shouts of the Dhampir's name and then the stomping of heavy feet as Hidan appeared in his bedroom doorway, shirtless-as usual and only in his black boxers. Kakuzu frowned at the sight, of course even he had to admit that Hidan was good-looking, but he didn't find himself attracted to the zealot, actually, it was another thing he hated. Kakuzu was repulsed by Hidan's appearance because his own was monstrous. It was times such as these when Hidan went traversing about the base in minimal clothing that he felt the Jashinist was rubbing it in his face. Kakuzu was not jealous, more bitter than jealous, he'd never been a beautiful man in the beginning, but with such a pretty boy as his partner it only stood to reason that no one person would look his way twice.

All except Shinko...

However, the bitterness turned to amusement at the sight of Hidan's bed-head, his usually gelled and meticulously neat hair was now stood on end, as if he'd been electrocuted...and he very well could've been, Shinko's element was lightning after all. He looked akin to a male lion.

All laughter dispersed as Hidan opened his potty mouth and began his usual tirade whenever he was sulking or nothing went his way.

But what surprised the older man most, was that Hidan was addressing Shinko and in such a tone of voice that almost questioned his love the woman, with eyes burning of pure anger and impending violence.

"Don't you fucking disappear on _me_; Shinko Hoshi, you get your shapely arse back here-_this minute_! And explain to me, why in Jashin's name that you would destroy my fucking furniture? What in the name of Jashin did they ever fucking do to _you_?" Kakuzu stared with almost wide eyes as he looked back-and-forth between the two in shock.

Shinko had..._slept_ with Hidan last night?

No, no, no. Kakuzu shook his head, it couldn't be true, Shinko was fully-clothed, even in her enhanced speed, she wouldn't be able to throw some clothes on and appear behind him in a millisecond; that would be physically impossible.

Shinko frowned at the two males, but sent a glance to Kakuzu as she addressed him "Nothing happened."

Of course, Hidan presumed she was stating as to what went on in his bedroom and once again flew off into a tantrum.

"You bet your fucking sweet arse something happened; you smashed my fucking side table _and_ my alarm clock!" He pointed an accusing finger at her, panting harshly and visibly shaking at the control he had to exert to keep himself from flying over there at them and hitting them like a madman.

Kakuzu was beyond confused and groaned at his oncoming headache, he rubbed his temples in soothing circles as he grumbled-more to himself "It's too early for this!"

"Your alarm clock was ticking too loud; it hurt my ears." Shinko finally supplied on a tired sigh.

Hidan didn't look impressed and snarled "You could've at least _moved_ and not _crushed it_ into tiny fucking pieces! Do you realise how much it's gonna fucking cost me to replace that crap?"

Rolling her eyes, Shinko snapped "Okay, okay, I'll pay for a new table and clock, sheesh, you're making a big deal out of nothing."

Hidan's eye twitched as he growled "I am _not_ overreacting!"

Kakuzu stood there watching the scene unfold, before he lost all interest, finding the yelling annoyed, he spun on his heel, stalking back towards his bedroom, he retorted to them both "This is stupid, I'm going back to bed, try not to get yourselves killed by the other's later when you leave the room!" He slammed his bedroom door for emphasis, leaving the two quarrelling lovebirds alone.

"Uh-huh." Shinko sounded unimpressed at Hidan's statement, before moving along back to her room at a normal pace, feeling sluggish, though was checked by Hidan's voice as he called "Hey, where the fuck are ya going?"

She faced him with a dead-pan expression; of all the things he _had_ to ask...

"Where do you think? I'm going back to bed...in _my_ room; at least there's no fear of me destroying your precious furniture collection in there." She would've walked off there-and-then, but she was more curious as to why a smirk crossed his face, despite the fact the annoyed gleam hadn't left his eyes as he asked "Where's my fucking 'good morning' kiss?"

When she still stared at him, not moving from her spot, he began complaining once more "No fucking appreciation for us men, we work so fucking hard for you women and all you bitches do is give us the cold shoulder and complain-!"

His words were cut off as his head was sharply tugged downwards and met a pair of cool lips, Hidan's lips felt bruised and the kiss was painfully hard, if he weren't such a masochist he would've pulled away and accused her of being an insensitive brute. It was only once his tense body relaxed that she swiftly let go of him and took a couple of steps back towards her room, replying in mock interest "I'll admit that I'm cold, but I do not complain, at least not half-as-much as you. So if anyone's the 'bitch' around here; it's _you_, Hidan."

His mouth hung open, unable to reply as he blinked and then she was at her bedroom door, looking at him over her shoulder, a smirk spreading across her face and a gleam of lust and cruelty flashed in her eyes, making them light up again into the usual piercing blue, stating in the most seductive voice she'd ever conjured in his presence "But you're _my_ bitch and no one else's."

On that, she disappeared into her room in a flash, the sound of her bedroom door shutting without once again successfully giving him a peak into her private quarters.

His mouth felt dry, his body warm and his knees weak at how possessive she'd sounded. Jashin above! She was perfect for him, but as for being her bitch, well, that may be so, but she also forgot to mention that she's _his_ bitch as well. She may show flashes of dominance and defiance at times, but ultimately, he would always remain dominant, for she was an emotional creature. Much more emotional than him.

Already this was proving to be an interesting relationship, he wondered briefly as he leaned against the doorway frame to his bedroom as to what married life would be like with his little monster. There was no question to how entertaining it would be, even if Shinko showed signs of weakness at times when she allowed her emotions to run away with her, he also looked forward to their spats and debates; he would never get bored, that's a guarantee.

Frowning, he couldn't help but let his mind ponder on that strange dream...he doubted it meant anything, despite it feeling so _real_, some dreams were like that. But if it was...then he had to be extra-vigilant and watchful of his beloved. Something was telling him that there were other forces out there trying to separate them.

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**A/N: Ah, at least that's another chapter over with, this wasn't AT ALL how this chapter was supposed to turn out, only the beginning with the dream sequence was the original chapter, only this one is much better, more detailed and edited ;) I can't believe its 1st June tomorrow! (I can't believe its butter!) Where has the first half of the year gone? Anywho, like I said, suggestions/ideas for the month of travelling to the Void country will be appreciated and answered. Don't be shy now! :)**

**Today, I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'xXLoveXxXIsXxXDeadlyXx' and 'Summond Shadow Fox' for their lovely reviews! :D**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	28. A Change in Atmosphere

**A/N: Listen, I could say I'm sorry until the cows come home, but it won't make a difference now, will it? So, I've caught up on Naruto Shippuden, though I still have 40 episodes to watch, the Naruto and Pein fight = EPIC! Sadly, I cried through the entire episode when Naruto found out about Jiraiya's death (it also doesn't help that he was my favourite character either!). Anywho, I am sorry about not updating for a while, things…haven't been going so well for me, for one thing I had to quit my job and go back onto jobseeker's allowance and my grandparents have been constantly rubbing it in my face :( But on the plus side, today is my dad's birthday and then it's my mum's birthday tomorrow; so I have to get up really early to put up her birthday banner and everything. I'm gonna be exhausted tomorrow! Anywho, happy reading!**

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**Summary:**Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense. In other words; shinobi at the level of Genin and Chuunin wouldn't be able to kill S-class criminals *glares at Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto in the Manga book* and I would also make it shorter, over 500 chapters is fucking ridiculous!

**Part Twenty-Eight: A Change in Atmosphere**

Lunchtime was soon upon the base and almost every member strode purposefully towards the kitchen for something to quell their growing hunger.

Shinko decided at the last minute to accompany Hidan and Kakuzu to the kitchen with the intention of heading off towards the prisons afterwards for her own meal. It also couldn't be healthy for her to remain cooped-up within her bedroom all-day every day.

The effort hadn't gone unnoticed by her peers; both Hidan and Kakuzu were mentally pleased at her attempts of socialising with others, though usually it didn't garner any promising results, it was just the knowledge of her _trying_ that appeased them.

The hallways remained dim as usual; that certainly hadn't changed, but it went unnoticed as the stomachs of the men and two women grumbled in frustration.

The short walk from their rooms to the kitchen was silent as neither of them said a word to the other, however, upon entering the kitchen the atmosphere to a deep nose-dive, for one thing, the room was over-crowded with grumpy and starved men-including Konan.

The three of them stood in the doorway to the kitchen and watched in bored and confused expressions at the actions of the other members.

Deidara, Sasori and Tobi were sat at the kitchen table, mostly keeping out of the way, but still unnecessarily sat there not doing a thing about their hunger pains. As usual, Deidara was arguing with Sasori, though the red-haired male didn't seem very interested in the topic, this was proven as he snatched the newspaper from Tobi's hands who immediately gave a cry of sadness for he'd been armed with a pair of scissors and was ready to cut a chain of tiny, paper men out of the newspaper.

Tobi began whining pitifully, though was tactfully ignored by Sasori as he finally got up from the table and left the kitchen without another word to anyone else. Deidara turned his fury upon the child-like man and began calling him names and scolding him for being so stupid. Meanwhile, Tobi tried to calm his 'Senpai' down and did nothing to defend himself.

Focusing elsewhere, the trio noticed Itachi stood next to an almost boiling kettle, he seemed to be ignoring everything around him as he fiddled with the spoon in his mug; his back to everyone else in the room.

On the other side of the room, Konan stood at the oven, stirring rigorously with a long spoon in a _large_ pot of what smelt like some sort of soup, her brow was furrowed in concentration...or was that annoyance? Either way, she looked unapproachable with her expression masked as it was.

To some it might've been a shock, but in reality, it wasn't all that dramatic. Yet their Leader was stood next to Konan silently as he was _buttering rolls of bread_. His expression was definitely that of thoroughly annoyed; no doubt from the other's and in all honesty, that may be the reason why he never ventured out to speak to other's unless absolutely necessary or when debriefing the other's of missions.

The noise irritated Shinko's sensitive ears, Deidara's scolding, Tobi's whining protests, the kettle boiling, the constant _tap, tap, tap_ of Itachi's spoon meeting the glass of his mug, the fan above the oven making a loud whirring racket and Pein's knife occasionally meeting the counter-top as he buttered and cut the rolls into even pieces. It was a little too much for her to handle as she felt a headache coming on.

Looking around the room, she noticed that Zetsu was nowhere to be seen and she couldn't help but think that he had the right idea by staying away.

A sigh from Hidan caught her and Kakuzu's attentions.

"Looks like we're on fucking time, wish the food would hurry up; I'm starving!" Hidan complained, adding to the noise inside the room.

"Idiot. You're not the only one, stop complaining, I'm surprised the others haven't tried to maim you yet for your _screeching_ this morning." Kakuzu grumbled, feeling bored. He suddenly wished that Sasori hadn't taken away the newspaper, he could really use something to distract himself with, he'd do almost anything if it meant not having to listen to Hidan complaining.

"Fuck you, stitch-face!" Hidan snapped as his head shot in up in his direction with a heated glare that spoke volumes of his dislike for the older and taller man.

Kakuzu looked unfazed by the rude language and nickname, but he did reply with a growled "You wish."

Shinko rolled her eyes at Hidan's spluttering curses in an attempt to offend the older man. They swiftly joined the mass of noise as they sent snide comments at each other, completely ignoring everyone else.

The Dhampir sighed, she honestly didn't know why she bothered by coming out into the kitchen where the other's were waiting to be fed and at their lowest mood because of their nagging hunger. She was setting herself up for disappointment, no one else was in the mood to talk it seemed and really, she should've taken the hint and just left.

But what would be the point in that?

She'd only go on into the prisons to satiate her thirst for blood, she might even see Zetsu there and they only ever talked briefly, both preferring to keep out of each other's ways and get on with their own agenda's. Afterwards, she'd be left with _nothing_ to do; as usual.

It was in one of these rare moments that she almost _wished_ they were on a mission, at least then she'd be _doing_ something to occupy her time whilst her peers went to feed themselves.

"Wow, all this noise makes me wish I weren't hungry." A voice spoke-up from behind her and Shinko didn't need to turn to know it was Kisame that'd spoken to her, but as he came up to stand on her right, she did glance at him, a small frown evident on her face.

"This is one of the few times I find myself grateful for not needing to _eat normal foods_ to survive."

"As I recall, weren't it _you_ who said to me once that you can eat _normal_ food but only in tiny amounts?" Kisame pointed out as his gaze settled on her.

A smirk replaced the frown as she replied "Sure, but that doesn't mean I will..." Her expression fell sad now as she mumbled "Once you've tasted blood for the first time; you can never return to _normal_."

He contemplated this for a few moments, before a grin spread across his face, his sharp teeth flashing as he stated "I suppose that's true...but being _normal_ is overrated and in my opinion; rather boring."

A small smile replaced her rather depressed expression as she murmured "You do have a point."

For a couple of minutes, they fell silent, Hidan and Kakuzu were still calling each other names and snapping at each, nothing of importance transpired during their conversation. Itachi had now filled his mug and took to sipping at it, still with his back to everyone as he now stared at the calendar on the wall above the kettle. Pein had finished buttering and cutting the pieces of bread and was now searching through the cupboards for small plates; no doubt the table was already set. Konan continued stirring, but had turned the heat down so that she didn't overcook the soup. Deidara was now satisfied that Tobi had been sufficiently scolded and was now fiddling with his clay, ignoring the orange-masked man.

Shinko narrowed her eyes on Tobi, she didn't like him and he knew it. She knew he wasn't what he made himself out to be, he was very dangerous. She could've read his thoughts, but decided not to, she didn't wish to find out what dark and sordid secrets the man was hiding, the less she knew, the more likely he'd leave her alone. And she certainly hadn't told anyone about what had transpired between them a while back.

"I heard you're getting engaged; congratulations." Kisame mumbled quietly, his expression unreadable, though looking into his eyes, Shinko noticed a certain sadness to them and she had an idea as to why he felt a little down about it.

Despite him being a nice guy most of the time, it was rather unlikely a girl would ever see past his appearance and questionable sanity when it came to his fighting since he often had the tendency to get a _little_ carried away. She could tell he was rather lonely and having a mute-like partner to share most of his company, it weren't surprising. However, it was probably for the best that he hadn't found anyone; he was too taken up with the urge to fight to focus on much else. Shinko hated fighting, she only ever did it when it was necessary and now that she'd found love for the first time in her life, she was even more reluctant to throw herself into unknown danger with the very slim possibility of her not ever coming back.

However, the Dhampir couldn't help but wonder who'd given such information out to him, although it was now well-known amongst the others that Hidan and herself had grown close, the only people that knew of this engagement was Pein and Konan; not even Kakuzu knew, but somehow Kisame had found out as well.

Kisame noticed her suspicious stare and he laughed, waving a hand as if to tell her to brush it all to one side "Leader told me yesterday evening, he seemed very _thoughtful_ and just came out and told me, he even asked me what I thought."

Shinko blinked, feeling slight dread course through her veins as she asked quietly without being overheard "And what did you say?"

Kisame shrugged carelessly and replied "I just said that you two were perfect for each other, y'know? You both sorta balance each other out; besides, you're the only one that can make _Priesty_ over there shut his mouth-"

"I heard that you cock-sucking _whore_! Why don't you say it to my face like a_ man_, _Nemo_!" Hidan snarl made both Shinko and Kisame's heads snap round to stare at him in surprise, both hadn't realised that he'd been listening into their conversation, despite how quiet they were trying to be.

Kisame figured that whenever it came down to Shinko, Hidan had ears like an elephant and eyes like a hawk. Though it was sweet that he would be so protective, Kisame could even be rather relieved that he didn't need to worry of Shinko's well-being, even so, it didn't excuse his vile language and irritating temper tantrums that seemed to last longer than Konan's period.

"Sorry, I don't talk to idiots." Kisame stated before he took off into the kitchen and went to stand by Itachi, switching the kettle on as he seemed to be making his own cup of tea.

Kakuzu smirked loudly at this, looking rather proud as he watched Kisame walk off with an air of indifference and unfounded confidence, almost like a father would with his son for being the bigger man. Shinko knew that Kakuzu and Kisame were quite good friends, aside from herself, Konan and Pein, she figured Kisame was the only one he could really connect with, both being tall and not very appealing to look at.

Hidan glared after Kisame, muttering curses under his breath, his fists clenching at his sides as he looked ready to all but throw himself over there and snap Kisame's neck in half. Kakuzu rolled his eyes dramatically, before heading off after Kisame, figuring a cup of coffee would be just the answer to his impending headache.

"Can you believe them? Honestly! They better keep one eye open in their fucking sleep tonight!" Hidan hissed as he stomped his foot childishly, making Shinko give a small cough to cover her fit of giggles that threatened to burst from her throat, instead, she placed her hand on his arm, finding the muscles beneath quite tense, though he flinched a little, he looked round to her, the anger in his beautiful eyes abating slightly.

"I'm gonna go and feed; I'll see you later and _try_ not to fight." Shinko knew it was unlikely he'd listen to her; in fact, she believed that half of what she said he'd go against just to gain a reaction anyway.

He snorted, confirming her beliefs as he murmured unhappily "Don't hold your breath."

She shook her head as she quickly leant forward and pressed a kiss to his mouth, silencing any more mumblings, before she walked off down the same corridor Sasori had left through, ignoring the disgusted looks Deidara sent her and _very_ aware of Tobi watching her as well.

**/*\*/*\**

It was an hour later that Shinko had finished with her meal down in the prisons. She hadn't realised just how hungry she really was and found that one _human_ just wasn't enough.

She left the lifeless bodies in their cells, the look of terror paused on her victims' faces for the rest of eternity, she left the doors unlocked knowing nothing will come of it.

Zetsu was waiting for her outside of the cell; he stared at her with his mismatched eyes shining in the dark as hers did. He made no move to enter the cell after she'd left it as he usually did; instead he remained rooted to the spot.

"_You were quite hungry today;_ **those stupid fools didn't stand a chance.**" Both Zetsu's commented which made her pause in mid-walk, turning; she faced him, knowing better than to turn her back on a possible threat. Though she knew none of the other's would attempt to kill her outside of training, she couldn't help being extra-careful, Zetsu were one of the few people she didn't get along with, albeit they were civil to each other at most, they both realised what they were capable of and mostly stayed away from each other. The same could be said for Sasori.

However, she'd rather spend time in Sasori's company over Zetsu's any day of the week.

In answer to his question, Shinko shrugged and replied nonchalantly "I guess I've allowed my appetite to build-up, I'll be more careful next time." It was a promise, though it wasn't the complete truth. Yes, she had neglected feeding herself for a while, but mostly, she'd been taken up with restlessness, she knew something was going on underneath everybody's noses, yet she couldn't point out what exactly it was. But she knew it had something to do with Tobi or whoever he really is.

Zetsu studied her intensely for a few moments, before muttering in humour "_Make sure that you do_. **The last thing we need is a stupid bitch like you creating more problems.**"

She flared her chakra, signalling him to leave before she Chidori'd his arse right out into the hemisphere, he took the hint and melded into the floor, his harsh gaze continued to burn holes into her body even after he'd vanished completely.

Shinko made an irritated sound in the back of her throat; feeling rather grumpy she headed towards the stairs, licking the last remnants of her meal from her pale lips. Her coat sashaying behind her as her black, leather, lace-up boots thudded against each step none-too-quietly as she climbed the stairs. She wasn't in the mood to keep her steps silent, for once, she found herself wanting to fight; just to vent and shift some of this anger.

Coming to the top of the staircase she stopped in front of the seven foot mahogany door, Shinko didn't hesitate to shove it open, hearing the hinges squeaking in protest at her unnatural strength.

To her surprise, Hidan and Kakuzu were both stood outside the door, both wide-eyed and bent backwards, Hidan's hand held up as if he were about to reach for the handle; clearly they hadn't expected her sudden exit. Mentally, she laughed at their expressions, or rather Hidan's, due to Kakuzu's mask covering the majority of his face, leaving only his eyes and the tops of his cheeks on display.

"Were you both coming for me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, her hand still holding onto the door, ready to slam it shut if they confirmed her belief. They both quickly answered with a nod and with a smile, she slammed the door shut, a resounding crack from the door made them wince, the walls and floor shook around them, a small trail of debris fell from the ceiling; proving how insanely strong she really was, though her innocent smile belied of anything sinister.

"Thanks, was there anything important you needed to tell me?" Shinko asked, tilting her head this time, wondering why the both of them came to find her. Usually, Kakuzu would take himself elsewhere to do whatever he wished to fill his day with, it was only when they were going to head out for a mission did he bother to spend any of his free-time with them.

"No, we were just going to train and wondered if you wanted to join us?" Kakuzu grumbled, unwilling to admit that he'd suggested this course of action to Hidan to test how capable she was of protecting herself from danger. Shinko had come into quite a few sticky situations in the last few weeks and now was the time to rectify that and give her a chance to improve her skills. He especially didn't wish to acknowledge that he cared for Shinko more than anyone else he knew; at times she was similar to what a niece would be to him for she was too young to be considered a sister.

She blinked a few times, before a large smile spread across her face; it had been so very long since they'd last trained altogether as a team, mostly, she would train with one of them, both very rarely sharing each other's company because of their obvious strong dislike towards their partner. If she weren't around, she knew for a fact that they would never spend time near each other outside of missions unless specifically ordered by Pein himself.

"Okay then, let's go!" Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed one of their wrists before she all-but dragged them down the lengthy, dark corridors towards the training rooms, both of the males too shocked and powerless to stop her.

**/*\*/*\**

They finally arrived at the training rooms, there were four in total, though two were construction for the time being, being S-class criminals was quite...damaging to their property. Each training room had been built round a select part of the forest, the first training room remained as it had been; just a plain old forest with tall trees and dry dirt, though with enough open space to manoeuvre about with little difficult-ideal for Deidara's clay creatures, Sasori's puppets, Pein's summoning and various other types of jutsu, Hidan's large scythe and Kakuzu's black, masked-monsters.

The second training room was meant to imitate a mountainous region; the lighting had been dimmed as well, to give those in there the chance to train their eyes to the darkness, this would be suitable for Shinko for she could see in the dark, Itachi as he was able to discern chakra by using his Sharingan rather than using sight-no matter the lighting, Konan could also train here without fear of getting her origami wet-therefore making it impossible to fight and Zetsu for he was a silent killer and spy.

The third room had a large waterfall feature coming from the side of the wall and flowing into a large river of sorts, it had grass and a few sparse trees and bamboo, this would mostly be ideal for Kisame, Pein and Kakuzu with their water-based jutsu's.

The last room was completely covered in ice and snow, making it almost unbearable to train in there without a certain amount of resilience, Shinko could fight in here as well, for she was dead; her body temperature almost non-existent for without a heartbeat-blood couldn't pump through to warm her. Itachi could fight here as well, since he specialised in fire-type jutsu's and could easily warm himself up should he deem it necessary and Sasori could fight here as well, but not for long periods of time, being made from wood _did_ have its disadvantages as well.

As for Tobi, he just usually followed Zetsu or Deidara around, being almost completely useless in jutsu; he was extremely skilled in distracting any targets or civilians with his innocent 'act' but mostly in dodging and fleeing, so much so, that it could sometimes be near impossible to land a hit on him and even if that were possible, he would use his rare and unusual ability of 'ghosting' where the attacker would just go straight through him. That ability was about the only thing any of the Akatsuki members found Tobi useful for and maybe even admired.

The ice/snow and mountainous training rooms were under repair, thanks to a certain Uchiha prodigy. So that left the river and forest training room available.

At first, Kakuzu suggested going into the river training to practise on his water jutsu and have Shinko and Hidan team-up against him, for he was the strongest of the trio jutsu-wise. Hidan had the best reflexes and aim considering he always liked to gut his opponents and then use them in his ritual, whilst Shinko remained the strongest and fastest of them; her heightened senses also gave her that extra-edge to her fighting.

But of course, Hidan had complained about that room, since he didn't want the water to wash the gel out of his hair that he'd spent almost an _hour_ trying to keep in place that very morning. Kakuzu was forced to concede, grinding his teeth together in fury as he struggled _not_ to smash Hidan's face against the wall. Even Shinko had snorted at that, she clearly found Hidan's bitching rather annoying as well, _why_ she ever put up with him, Kakuzu didn't know, but what he did know, was that she was the only one capable of making him shut up for long periods of time _and_ calm him down whenever he should get overexcited or angry.

And so, they entered the first training room, Hidan looking satisfied by this, but that soon vanished when they noticed a certain blond bomber practising his punches and kicks in the middle of the open area.

"Oh, it's _you guys_," Deidara straightened and rolled his eyes as he wiped his forehead with his bare arm, as his cloak was neatly folded a little away from him.

"If you're all here to train, go somewhere else, I'm just warming up, hmm, wouldn't want any of you to lose a limb now would we?" Deidara pointedly stared in Hidan and Shinko's direction, making them bristle in anger, however, it was Hidan that snarled "Shut the fuck up, you cocksucker, at least I don't look like a fucking _woman_!" Deidara's teeth began visibly grinding together, but this didn't deter Hidan from his rant "You're a fucking pansy-arsed _bitch_! It seems to me like all that long hair is compensating for something!"

"Just let us train here; we won't get in your way." Shinko called to the blond as calmly as she could muster, considering she detested Deidara intensely.

"Over my dead body, hmm!" Deidara retorted, glaring at them, looking royally pissed off, he also didn't waver from his stance, no matter how much smaller he is compared to them, he didn't look at all worried, considering there was three of them and one of him.

"Hidan, Shinko, let's leave, he's not worth our time-" Kakuzu was cut off as the albino woman snapped "No, I'm not leaving, there's plenty of space here for all of us, so I don't see why blondie over there thinks he's owns this spot, cos he doesn't."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes, already knowing where this was heading and yet, strangely he continued to urge her away from the training room "Honestly, does it really matter? We could always ask one of the other's if we can join them, they'll more likely accept because they're not selfish."

Deidara's glare faltered as his face turned into a scowl "What the fuck are you insinuating, hmm?"

"That you're a fucking selfish bastard, you stupid prick!" Hidan shouted back at the rather dense blond, his hands itching to grab his scythe and cut Deidara's head off just to end the blond bomber's incessant bitching. And wasn't that calling the kettle black?

"How about a wager?" Shinko asked, an idea springing to mind, her voice became pleasant and business-like, if there was one thing she learned from Kakuzu, it was that negotiating was never impossible, no matter the situation.

"And what would that be, hmm?" Deidara asked with a knowing smirk, it seemed that he'd already caught onto her plan and was eagerly looking forward to it.

"We fight. If I win, Kakuzu, Hidan and I get the training room for a week, if you win, well, we won't bother you for training ever again. Deal?" Her eyes never left Deidara's only visible blue one and from there she could see the pure ecstatic desire for the battle ahead.

"Whoa-whoa! Hold on a moment! Shinko are you outta your fucking mind?" Hidan turned to her, feeling ever so tempted to grab her by the shoulders and shake the life out of her, hoping to give her some sense, though knew it was a long-shot "He'll explode you into pieces of fucking glitter given the chance, forget this shit, let's blow this joint and find somewhere else to train."

"I hate to agree with Hidan and it's not that I doubt your abilities, Shinko, but the loudmouth here does strike a good point, you're underestimating Deidara, he's been known to wipe out towns and could easily destroy one of the larger hidden villages." Kakuzu mumbled, ignoring Hidan's offended noise from the 'loudmouth' comment.

Shinko's eyes shifted from coal black to electric blue within a second, sparing her mentor's a glance over her shoulder; she mumbled "I think it is _me_ who you're both underestimating. If you don't wish to train here, then you don't need to stay, but I've been itching to spar with this cocky bastard for a while now, he needs to be put in his place."

Neither male said another word at this, both knew that Deidara was a little too cocky for his own good, he needed to be taken down a notch or two to make him remember he's still human and is susceptible to just as much pain as the average civilian was.

"When you're done chatting to your girlfriends." Deidara snorted, flicking his golden locks over his shoulder in boredom, really, he could've learned a new technique within the time they've been stood there yammering away.

Shinko was silent as she all but ripped her black coat from her body and threw it behind her, no longer caring for the material; it was about time she got a new outfit anyway, what with all the re-stitching she'd had to ask Kakuzu to do, it made her clothes look like scraggy rags since he hadn't had the right colour thread to match the material of her clothing.

Shinko had already noticed Deidara's right hand in his bag, no doubt the mouth eating at the clay, she knew she had to get him quick whilst he was busy.

Taking a deep breath, Shinko dug the heel of her boots into the dirt on the ground, making the dry dirt crack under her heel and with a twitch of her ankle she sent herself flying through the air at Deidara in a blinding speed that the blond barely managed to jump out of the way from her charging attack. The blond man jumped into the air, twisting his body so that he landed on his feet a good ten feet away from his opponent, though that didn't last long either.

Shinko didn't give Deidara time to think before she twisted herself in the air and landed with her feet against the wall of the training room, causing two small dents to form from where her feet landed, using the wall as leverage, she pushed herself off from it and hurtled towards Deidara once more.

The blond smirked and with the one hand he had in the bag of clay at his hip, he lifted it out and held his arm towards Shinko's fast approach, a long clay snake shot forth from the mouth upon his hand and entangled itself around Shinko's body, causing her to topple to the ground in an unceremonious heap, desperately wriggling and hissing through her sharp teeth in a futile effort to break free from the strong bonds.

Deidara's other hand was already inside the bag of clay within moments, the mouth on his hand chewing vigorously to create a replica snake so that her bonds would be stronger, but of course, he wasn't finished with her yet. He returned his left hand to the bag at his side and stood there in boredom, almost taking the time to hum to himself.

"Shinko!" Hidan's cry made Deidara smirk in glee, for once he was happy to hurt the foul-mouthed male, it'd give him a taste of his own medicine for once. At last, he was finally 'on top' and was proving his worth, naturally he'd be more skilled than Shinko, she relied too much on raw power; take that away and she'd be pretty much useless. Deidara prided himself on long distance fighting and was quick to scheme for a way to win, even if he had to kill a few of his own brethren to accomplish it, he saw no harm.

"What's the matter Shinko? Can't move?" Deidara asked in mock innocence, a snicker following his remark as he lifted his right hand from his pouch and throwing his arm into the air, he made the familiar hand-sign and from a burst of clouds, the signature giant clay bird appeared, without wasting any more time, he jumped up onto it and allowed it to take off up high towards the ceiling of the training room; which was conveniently more than enough distance to blow Shinko to Hell.

Hidan and Kakuzu kept their distance, realistically, Shinko had been the one to start the fight, they knew not to interfere and yet if they didn't then she would die. However, that too, came with some heavy risks. Running straight towards a ticking time-bomb was never the wisest thing to do.

But what surprised Kakuzu the most was how _easily_ she'd allowed herself to get caught, there was no doubt she'd seen the attack coming, so why hadn't she dodged as she usually would've done?

* * *

**A/N: Aaaaand I'm gonna stop it there. This thing is already 10 pages long! O.o Btw, please don't get the wrong idea of this 'Deidara-bashing', I don't hate Deidara, but for the sake of this fanfic, I'm painting him as a baddie to Shinko. Honestly, I wanted to make it realistic; not everyone is going to like my OC. Anywho, I also just want to say that I'm not sure when I'll next update, I'd like to say in the next 2-3 weeks if all goes well, but I'm not promising anything.**

**Today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'xXLoveXxXIsXxXDeadly', 'Summond Shadow Fox' and 'anonymous' for their supportive reviews-I really appreciate it my friends! :)**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	29. Turn of the Tide

**A/N: Oh God, I am SO sorry! It has been-what? Three months? Either way, I had NO intention to leave it this long but I've had no enthusiasm since writers' block has been a nightmare for me to get inspiration and lo-behold, today it hit me like a truck! :) Another reason I haven't updated in so long is because I was suffering from headaches a lot and I kept getting pain shooting through my head, my mum believes it was mostly linked to eye-strain, I would've gone to the Doctors about it, but I don't enjoy sitting in the doctors with all those screaming kids, the sick elderly people that shout because apparently their friend can't hear them clearly despite being sat next to them and the actual doctors that clearly don't give a crap about whether you're gonna die tomorrow or not =_=**

* * *

**Summary:**Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense. In other words; shinobi at the level of Genin and Chuunin wouldn't be able to kill S-class criminals *glares at Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto in the Manga book* and I would also make it shorter, over 500 chapters is fucking ridiculous!

**Part Twenty-Nine: Turn of the Tide**

Deidara was feeling triumphant, standing upon his clay bird and looking _down_ at his enemies within the organization for so long and now that he was close to getting rid of one of the very few that he found would no longer benefit by living made his heart jump with excitement.

No longer would they belittle him and think of him as a nobody, he was definitely a _somebody_!

He deserved to be noticed!

The Vampire-bitch wasn't worth his spit, so she should consider herself lucky that he's willing to put her out of her misery himself. He had always been generous like that.

He took his hand out of the bag containing his special clay, the mouth on his hand almost working overtime to compensate for how quickly he wanted to win this battle.

He snickered aloud, thrusting his arm in Shinko's direction, another clay snake appeared, this one longer, he watched her futile struggling, heard her hisses and snarls. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Hidan and Kakuzu standing rigid on the sidelines, they both seemed to be having some sort of internal war with themselves and clearly didn't know whether to aide Shinko or leave her alone to see how she would handle this fight.

For now, they were just acting as spectators, they're no real threat for the moment, it was only when they would interfere that Deidara would need to act and fight back, although he knew he would stand little to no chance with Kakuzu, he knew he could take both Hidan and Shinko out and at _least_ cause Kakuzu some extensive damage.

It would all be worth it in the end, Deidara chanted to himself madly. It was about high-time he had some respect!

He already had that damn Uchiha looking down on him, Sasori not appreciating his art and everyone else commenting on his appearance and attitude. Why couldn't anyone just _accept_ him? He shouldn't have to go to such lengths to get noticed and appreciated! He is just as good a fighter as anyone else in the organization, so why should he be subjected to constant criticism and rejection?

_Why_ did this stupid Vampire-bitch get all the attention, the understanding and the _sympathy_?

Sure, she may have a troubled past, but so does everyone else! Why should she get to be so selfish?

The second snake was now wrapping itself around her body, squeezing his hand into a fist; the rope-like snakes started tightening their hold upon her.

Deidara's blue eye glittered in malice, thinking that perhaps he wouldn't have to make the clay explode in order to kill her and win, perhaps squeezing her until her bones were crushed and body cut into pieces would be enough? It'd certainly be more entertaining to watch!

"Dammit! Get out of there Shinko!" Hidan's shout broke Deidara from his reverie, though the blond didn't spare him a glance, he wasn't interested in the zealot, Shinko is his main goal for the moment, she's been a thorn in not only his side but everyone else's since she joined the organization.

He would've ignored her as he mostly did with all the others if she hadn't gone and brought Hidan into their little spats. With everyone else belittling him, he needed to vent his anger somewhere, Shinko was the perfect candidate, she was already emotional fragile and bared feelings of hate towards him as he did to her. Almost a match made in heaven!

At first he'd tried taking his anger out on Tobi, but that had damaging repercussions which always came back and bit him in the arse later. He didn't understand how Tobi could be so..._cunning_? _Vengeful_? Either way, once he'd started something, the man-child would keep irritating him to the point of Deidara almost wanting to cut his own ears off just to escape the very sound of Tobi's whiny voice.

With that thought in mind, he grinned widely "Isn't this _fun_? It's only what you _deserve_!"

Tossing aside the idea of squeezing her to death, in hopes of getting this over with, he made the familiar hand-sign, laughing out loud he could barely contain his excitement.

Once this was over, his power would be recognised!

Shinko was said to be the fastest runner, her senses keener than any animal and human combined, her strength rivalling that of Kakuzu and Kisame, her healing and psychic abilities were out of this world and yet, he would defeat all of that, he would become better. He'd prove his potential and his own abilities!

Hidan saw the tell-tale sign of the famous hand-sign to set off the clay bombs, but it seemed Shinko was a little too preoccupied to notice the gesture in the midst of her struggling, it was maddening.

Biting his lip until he drew blood, Hidan found he could no longer stand on the sidelines and watch as his beloved struggled and fought against her bonds that were squeezing her ever so tightly that he could only now just see blood starting to seep from the wounds of how harshly the rope-like snakes were digging into her skin. Her snarls and hisses were like that of a pained beast, he could barely comprehend it was coming from her, for he'd never heard her in such agony, but it made his blood boil and sent him into action.

Gripping his scythe in hand, Hidan tore off from Kakuzu's side into a run, barely hearing Kakuzu's shout of his name. Deidara noticed him approaching from below but seemed hesitant to actually attack him since Hidan wasn't running towards Shinko.

Twisting his body, Hidan threw the three-bladed scythe into the air, having aimed with skilled precision in a blink of the eye; the metal coil connected to the end of the scythe's staff began making a loud whirring noise as if followed after the weapon as it flashed through the air. The noise of the metal coil reminded Hidan that the joints needed cleaning and oiling so that it would act more smoothly and quietly in the future.

Deidara realised too late that the scythe wasn't aimed at Shinko or at himself, it was aimed for his clay bird, though he still had to move a little to the side to prevent the offending weapon from cutting his leg-the last thing he needed was Hidan getting a single drop of his blood to use in his crazy blood-ritual. Instead, the scythe's blades slammed down into the bird, embedding itself tightly and Deidara cursed mentally. The one downfall of clay was that it was extremely difficult to solidify and when he did that, it became virtually impossible to manipulate as it'd lost its fluidity.

Hidan continued running, whilst doing this, he yanked hard on the metal coil and suddenly, like a measuring tape, he was being lifted off the ground and towards the bird. Deidara could only spare a glance at Shinko to see her using a lightning based jutsu that he remembered was referred to as; 'Chidori Nagashi'. Although a thousand and one curses were racing through his head at this, he had to give her credit for finally figuring out his Earth-based jutsu's weakness.

The 'Chidori Nagashi' was an ingenious jutsu that sends lightning coursing throughout the users body and preventing any object or person from touching them without getting electrocuted, though it couldn't be used continuously for whoever used it had to concentrate and push their chakra through their body. Similar to a light switch, once turned on for so many minutes, it had to be turned off, for it depleted chakra very quickly.

The clay loosened and fell off around her body, making it useless.

Hidan was on the bird by this point, though was having a little difficulty trying to remove his scythe from the bird. This made Deidara smirk, Hidan was practically wide open, susceptible to any attack that he would dish out at him. He watched for a few seconds as Hidan exerted all of his strength into removing the blade out of the now sticky clay, only being successful by moving it a few inches out of the bird. Though it remained fully stuck.

Deidara reached into his pouch and took out a few kunai, quickly now, whilst his prey was distracted, he threw the kunai at the zealot, only to blink in astonishment at how Hidan moved out of the kunai's path at such close-range and without even blinking up at him. It was almost like he could sense they were coming his way...but that was impossible!

Unless...

Within a flash, Deidara's eye glanced over the edge of his bird and focused on Shinko, who was now standing, rivulets of blood trailing down her body from where the rope-like snakes had dug into her flesh, serving as another reminder of how close he'd come to almost killing her. However, that wasn't the problem now, for he could see her standing below, staring up at him; watching.

It was then that Deidara remembered her psychic abilities-she was able to read someone's thoughts, could she perhaps _speak_ mind-to-mind as well?

No. Impossible!

She may be a lot of things, but telepathic isn't one of them...right?

"Fuck me! _Finally_!" Hidan's exclamation didn't go unnoticed, as the next thing Deidara knew, a large scythe was swung at him, giving him only a millisecond to dodge out of the way. Hidan continued to swipe at him in his slightly enhanced speed, able to dodge the random kunai Deidara could muster to throw and he realised that he lacked close-combat training. He was an expert in blowing shit up, not in mastering a weapon.

However, he reluctantly stayed aboard his bird, knowing that if he were to jump off to the ground that Shinko would have the opportune moment to catch him in mid-air and seriously injure him. In the air he was invincible, but on the ground, he wasn't as much of a threat.

"Fucking hell, hold _still_!" Hidan snarled as he swung at Deidara's middle and was slightly horrified yet extremely pleased that he'd hit his target, only he knew immediately something wasn't right. Deidara began melting and changing into a different colour, a rather sandy shade and Hidan realised then that it was a clay clone. He then wondered how far along the bomber had planned this?

Once again, his scythe was stuck in the now melting and retreating form of the once Deidara, his face became red from embarrassment for not realising this sooner, he should've known that it was a fake, but hadn't checked since his mind had been worried over Shinko and that he just wanted to hack away at Deidara for causing them so much irritation and misery.

Within the confines of his clay bird, Deidara slowly and silently crawled out from the bird's centre, smirking triumphantly as he soon came face-to-face with Hidan's back, catching him at a blind spot and was extremely satisfied to see Hidan utterly distracted to retrieve his beloved weapon from the clay once more. It seemed that the clay did have its _other_ uses as well.

Brandishing a kunai, Deidara wasted no time and stabbed it into Hidan's back where his heart was, causing the other man to falter for a moment, before the zealot coughed, Deidara was pleased to see blood falling from the Jashinists lips, though he knew it'd take a lot more than that to disarm Hidan.

Deidara pulled the kunai out of Hidan's back and bent low as the albino male served round to send a punch into his jaw, only the blond bomber bent low and dodged at the last moment, Hidan sent a kick at Deidara's legs, hoping to knock him over and hopefully _off_ of the clay bird, but the blond bomber easily jumped to the side, before swiping at Hidan in hopes of cutting his head off.

Hidan became enraged and reaching into his cloak, he pulled out his pike, extending it, he began howling like a crazed hyena on drugs-which wasn't unusual. The pike and Deidara's kunai clashed several times, each trying to swipe at the other, though being unsuccessful.

Beneath the brawling males, Shinko watched them carefully, having removed the rope-like snakes from her body and got to her feet, her legs feeling a little wobbly. She waited for her wounds to seal shut, though they stung, they were only a slight annoyance compared to the pain she'd felt before.

Honestly, one part of her was happy that Hidan had come to help her; it proved that he genuinely cared for her safety, whereas the other part of her was angered. She was perfectly capable of handling herself, even before Hidan had joined the fight she was going to use the 'Chidori Nagashi' to free herself. Though having Hidan to distract Deidara whilst she set herself free from her bindings had made up for the anger, it'd given her the perfect opportunity to do that without being noticed.

She fought the urge to growl to herself, watching them with keen eyes from where she was stood, she could see Hidan being recklessly impulsive, barely stopping to think about whether he was aiming for the _real _Deidara and continuously getting his scythe stuck.

"Are you alright, Shinko?" Kakuzu asked as he walked rather leisurely to her side, showing no intentions of apprehension and gave no indication to wanting to join the fight. In fact, he was barely taking notice of it. He was still holding her shredded coat and glancing at him, she murmured "Yes. These wounds will heal and then I'll finish this."

Kakuzu shook his head and replied "I wouldn't bother; it seems that Hidan has this under control. You and I both know how much those two hate each other."

"True, but I was the one that started all this and I plan to finish it." Shinko stated firmly, before once again fixing her gaze back to the fight, only to hiss when Deidara stabbed Hidan from behind.

This angered her, although Hidan was mostly immortal and he could handle himself, she still detested anyone that hurt him in any way. She couldn't help but think; _if he were human..._

Forming hand-signs, she spoke to Kakuzu "You should move."

In her right palm, lightning formed, similar to the normal 'Chirdori', this one was more advanced, this one was called; 'Chidori Eisou', something she'd been working on for a long while, this was the third time she would test its power to see how it worked.

Kakuzu sighed irritably and jumped out of the way, still making no effort to join in the fight and remained poised on the sidelines _just in case_.

Lifting her hand up and aiming towards the bird, the lightning in her palm extended itself further along into the air, much like a spear, except the length just kept going, on and on, it appeared over the side of the clay bird, before she moved her wrist and the lightning spear cut through the wing of the clay bird, slicing it off in one sweep.

The bird jolted and then was falling through the air fast. However, that didn't stop her, using her enhanced strength, she pushed it down towards the heels of her feet. Pushing herself off the ground, she flew towards the falling clay bird, feeling enraged after seeing Deidara attempt to behead her mate. She grabbed the real Deidara and then they went falling to the ground, hitting and scratching each other as they went along.

Hidan jumped off of the clay bird and flipped in the air before landing on his feet upon the ground, hearing two thuds, the larger thud being of the now useless clay bird, once the dust cleared he noticed that the other thud had been Shinko and Deidara.

Shinko was now straddling Deidara and was punching him in the face with what looked to be great strength, he could barely hear the blond bomber whimper, though Deidara hadn't stayed still for long, as his hand came up and grabbed her by the neck, squeezing hard. Shinko choked and faltered in her punches, giving the blond the opportunity to push her off of himself and then sent a kick to her stomach, sending her back a few paces. She coughed up a little phlegm and raised a hand to wipe at the spittle.

Hidan went to the clay bird, yanking at his scythe that seemed to have dislodged itself from the clay clone from the fall, he placed it over his shoulder idly and slowly walked around the monstrosity towards Shinko, ready to back her up should she need assistance.

Deidara was seething, his cheeks were red, eye glittering in anger, a sneer on his lips, eyebrows creased, his hair stuck out wildly as sweat clung to his brow, rolling in small beads down his face and neck. Scratches were seen on his left cheek and arms, bruises were forming on his face and he was sporting a cut lip, panting harshly as he glared at the Dhampir.

"You stupid _bitch_! Why can't you see that you're _nothing_? You don't belong here; your kind shouldn't even _exist_!" Deidara shouted for all he was worth, allowing his pent-up anger and frustrations at not being successful in eradicating one of Akatsuki's hindrances bubble and funnel up within him.

"You've caused nothing but problems and you think you deserve _respect_ and _sympathy_? You're _pathetic_ and I refuse to acknowledge you!"

"Watch your fucking mouth you bastard!" Hidan snarled his body tense as he lifted his scythe from his shoulder and held it out at Deidara as if to prove a point.

"I will say what I like! And I'm not the only one that thinks this! A _monster_ like you doesn't deserve love or kindness! You should be locked away!" Deidara bellowed, not at all fazed by Hidan's previous outburst, but was satisfied when he noticed Shinko's face twist into shock and Hidan's into rage.

"I'm gonna tear you a fucking new whole, you whiny little bitch! Then I'm gonna gut you and feed you to the crows! It's what you fucking deserve you piece of shit!" Hidan roared as he went to jump at Deidara to do just that but was stopped by Shinko's colossal grip on his arm, preventing him from moving any further than a step towards the blond male.

"Ignore him, Hidan. He isn't worth it." Shinko mumbled quietly, maintaining her strong grip, for she wasn't convinced he would stay by her side otherwise.

"No! The bastard needs to be taught a fucking lesson! How dare he say that? Huh!" Hidan implored, glaring hatefully at the blond male who was stood a few metres away, returning the glare with equal animosity.

Shinko shook him slightly "Stop it, Hidan. Forget it-"

"No!" Hidan swirled round to face her and with desperate and angry eyes, he ranted "He called you a fucking _monster_! You're not a monster! You're not, you're not, you're not! You're _nothing_ like that!"

It became silent, aside from Hidan's heavy breathing and Deidara's exhausted panting.

Shinko's eyes were wide at how passionate and emotional Hidan became, as if he couldn't put enough emphasise on his words. Her grip loosened and her hand fell from his arm slowly to her side. His magenta eyes almost pleaded with hers, to not believe a word that Deidara had said.

"That's enough! We'll call it a draw for now." Kakuzu grumbled unhappily as he walked towards them, catching their attentions once more, he sent a glare warning something worse than death at Deidara should he voice his refusal to accept the outcome.

The blond bomber wisely kept his mouth shut this time, though had trouble doing so, his teeth ground together so hard, that even Hidan and Kakuzu could hear it from where they were stood.

"Let's go, we've wasted enough time as it is, seems like we'll have to train another day..." Kakuzu stated offhandedly, especially when a slip of paper floated into the room from underneath the door to the training room, it was quickly followed by others, soon a cluster of paper butterflies filled the room and melded together, creating a figure.

Naturally, it was Konan, her expression, as usual, was one of boredom and dissatisfaction, she allowed her eyes to roam over each of them, looking over at the destroyed clay bird and then in the direction towards the useless clay snakes that laid forgotten on the floor until now. Blinking once, she looked to Kakuzu and stated "Leader wishes to speak to you, Hidan and Shinko. Get cleaned up and come to his office immediately."

Kakuzu sighed out loud and gave a brisk nod. Turning his back to Konan as she now dispersed and left the training room, he handed the shredded coat back to Shinko, though couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes when Hidan grumbled "What the fuck does _he_ want now?"

"Just get going. You know how he hates to be kept waiting." Kakuzu growled, realising that he'd have to wait for Hidan and Shinko to get ready before proceeding to Pein's office. No doubt it was another mission and he wasn't exceptionally happy to learn that for the next so many weeks or months he'd be forced to share the company of a loud, cursing zealot and an emotionally, fragile, half-Vampire.

He gave up believing in God's when he was forced to work with others that pissed him off. Surely no God would put one person through so much misery?

"He's like the damn puppet, is about as patient as a male dog near a bitch on heat!" Hidan snapped, placing his pike back within his cloak and his scythe upon his back. Shinko spared another calm glance at Deidara whose glare intensified if possible. Seeing this, she merely looked away and followed after them silently leaving the blond bomber to his thoughts.

**/*\*/*\**

It was an hour later that they were stood within Pein's tidier, dim office.

However, Pein was far from happy. They'd kept him waiting and he was not in the best of moods. The pile of paperwork that was still left unfinished on the edge of his desk was a constant reminder of how little time he had to himself just lately. Konan was stood to the side, this time; she weren't filing away various pieces of paper. Instead, she was to be a witness to this meeting.

Shinko had showered after her wounds finally healed. She'd had to put on some new clothes since her old ones were pretty much in tatters and no longer useable. She wore her usual black lace-up boots, but this time, she wore a black mini-skirt, mid-blue shirt and short, fingerless black gloves. Unbeknownst to her, Hidan had become quite shook up by her appearance. Not only did she look stunning, but she was wearing the exact same clothes as she had in his dream the night before.

He just couldn't believe that, that had been coincidence. It'd surprised him so much, that he'd become silent and had yet to kick up a fuss about anything.

"You all sure took your time," Leader commented offhandedly, noticing Kakuzu's heavy glare at the two responsible, though he'd already known that they may be delayed from what Konan had told him earlier once she'd returned from the training room.

"No matter, I've called you three here, because of a very special reason," glancing at Hidan, he saw the recognition cross the Jashinists face before continuing. "Due to a special request, you three are to return to the Land of Void to see Lord Tadashii Hoshi-" Shinko's gasp cut him off and he watched her with expectant eyes as shock, understanding, then happiness settled across her features.

He cleared his throat and continued unfazed "Of course, you three shall be away for some time, roughly a month depending on the weather and such. Hidan," Pein looked at the zealot and stated "You wished to visit Lord Hoshi to be granted permission to marry Shinko, correct?"

Kakuzu's eyes widened like dinner plates, as he stared at the two lovebirds in question, feeling rather lightheaded at having _not_ seen this coming. Hidan paid the older man little heed and nodded towards their leader in reply.

"Very well. You are all permitted leave, Kakuzu; you shall handle the finances of this mission-"

"Hold on a minute!" Shinko interrupted with gusto, catching their attentions.

"Yes, what is it, Shinko?" Pein asked patiently for he'd expected questions to be thrown his way.

"Why _now_?"

Pein raised an eyebrow, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach as he replied "Hidan requested this mission; I said I'd consider it. I have, you three will go and settle whatever score that needs to be settled there and return."

"No, I meant, why have you suddenly warmed up to the idea?" Shinko asked suspiciously, unable to hide her curiosity despite the voice inside her head telling her to tread carefully, for Pein wasn't appointed the leader of the Akatsuki for nothing.

"It's the right time," Pein felt his hands go a little clammy under the Dhampir's scrutinizing gaze, he knew she didn't have to hear his answer, she could easily read his mind, so he willed his thoughts onto the slight lie he was telling her, almost convincing himself that this was the real reason. "Besides, you've been longing to see your grandfather ever since you joined, now is the perfect opportunity, you want his blessing, I'm certain you'll be granted it and perhaps a catch-up is in order. It is also time to learn just how uninhabitable the area is just in case we are called to a mission there in the future."

Shinko felt a little doubtful, but said no more. She could understand his reasoning, though she felt there was more he weren't telling her, even so, she didn't read his mind. She didn't like doing it, knowing that she was invading someone else's private thoughts made her uncomfortable and she knew she'd be more than a little peeved if someone did that to her in return without asking her permission.

"You will all leave in the morning; pack your belongings with you. You'll each have a long trek ahead of you. Stay there no longer than a fortnight, you're each needed here, but since we haven't had so many mission requests lately, think of this as a holiday, because it'll be the only one you'll get this side of the year," Pein sent them all a meaningful look "even so, I wish you all luck. Now leave."

Konan remained silent even as they left, but she watched after them with longing eyes that spoke volumes of her concern.

Once the door had closed, Pein's hand found hers, giving it a squeeze, he murmured "They will be fine, you'll see."

**/*\*/*\**

Hidan became lively once more, feeling rather excited to get out of the stuffy base and onto the road again, but this time, he was going to get Tadashii's blessing; it was the right thing to do after all and he knew Shinko would appreciate the gesture and effort he'd gone too for this to happen.

"You're getting _married_?" Kakuzu exclaimed in horror, already calculating the costs in his head and wincing when he knew Hidan would go _all-out_ for his wedding. It was a train crash waiting to happen.

Hidan gave a short laugh "Surprise!"

Kakuzu scowled thunderously at Hidan's chirpy tone of voice, not seeming to grasp how serious the concept of marriage really is.

"Idiot! This is no laughing matter, do you even _know_ what a wedding is?" Kakuzu asked irritably.

"Of course I know what a fucking wedding is! My parents got married!" Hidan declared and Shinko's face looked round to his to stare in wonder since this was the first time Hidan had ever spoken of any relatives.

"Do you realise how much it'll cost?" Kakuzu snarled, already knowing that Hidan would deliberately order the most expensive pieces of furniture and the like just to make Kakuzu suffer needlessly.

"You and your fucking money-!" Shinko interrupted Hidan's impending tirade and replied honestly "Well, first we need to see my grandfather. I'm certain he'll want to know all about what has been going on, then we'll need his permission of course."

She walked ahead of them by a few paces, but stopped and turned to face them when she realised they weren't following after her, she was about to ask _why_ they remained stood where they were, until Kakuzu asked "Don't you think you're a little _old_ to be asking for permission?"

Shinko rolled her eyes and replied "I'm nineteen, almost twenty, I'm not that old. Even so, because my grandfather is the ruler of the Southern house, he makes all the decisions considering his bloodline. If things didn't go my way I could always run away or in this case; elope. But trust me; things would be a lot easier if we have his permission."

Kakuzu lifted a hand and rubbed his temples soothingly, before grumbling "Sounds a little ridiculous and confusing to me." He then sighed and walked off into their lounge room, leaving Hidan and Shinko alone in the corridor.

Hidan gulped and stepped closer to Shinko, looking her dead in the eyes, he asked quietly "Are you happy with this? Because if not, you better bloody say something now."

Shinko gave a small smile, her eyes softening as she murmured "Of course I'm happy with this! Thanks to you, I'll be getting to see my grandpa again...it's been so long."

His arms reached out and surrounded her in a tight hug, hoping to reassure her since he knew she'd been restless in the last couple of weeks and had been longing to see Tadashii even longer than that.

She returned the warm gesture, breathing in his scent, she mumbled "I'm looking forward to it...and dreading it at the same time...I guess I'll know how I feel when we get there. But I'm not gonna back away from this now."

"Good. Cos I didn't go to all that fucking trouble for nothing!" He retorted with humour, though his voice fell a few pitches lower as he mumbled so only she could hear "And know that I've got your back, all the way!"

She squeezed closer to him and smiled widely at the statement, before replying "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

**A/N: At last! I finally got my arse into gear and typed this. It only took me six hours, no biggie! O.o I'm sorry that I left you all hanging, how cruel am I? Anyway, in the next 3-4 chapters, this is where they'll be travelling to Void country and then we'll be entering the climax of this story and believe me, it's exciting as heck! :D I can't wait to start typing it up! I'll try to get the next few chapters out at a steady pace and I'm hoping to have this story done before New Year the latest, but I hate putting a deadline on these sorts of things cos you never know what'll happen tomorrow!**

**Today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'xXLoveXxXIsXxXDeadlyXx' and 'Kaity' for their lovely reviews! Seriously guys, thank you! :)**

**!Reviews are appreciated!  
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	30. Week One: Days 1 to 4

**A/N: Yay! Another update! I told you guys I'd have it out sooner than the last one! ;) This one is a little longer than what I usually type, but hey-ho! I wanted to put as much in as I can, but cos I have this horribly drive that **_**forces**_** me to type it with detail and some form of perfection I struggle to get motivated. However, strangely enough, I became quickly motivated quarter of the way through this one :D You guys better appreciate this, cos I've spent 6 hours of my day typing non-stop, it's over 11 pages long and my hands are about ready to fall off! So yeah, we're now entering towards the final arc of this story (about fucking time!) and trust me, it's gonna be fucking awesome! :D**

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**Summary:**Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense. In other words; shinobi at the level of Genin and Chuunin wouldn't be able to kill S-class criminals *glares at Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto in the Manga book* and I would also make it shorter, over 500 chapters is fucking ridiculous!

**Part Thirty: Week One: Days 1-4**

It was not long after dawn when Shinko, Hidan and Kakuzu quietly stepped out of the base hidden inside the mountain and into the outside world.

The sky was already starting to brighten up as it shone with colours of orange, yellow and blue. Fluffy white clouds passed over lazily above them, some birds were chirping cheerfully amongst the trees; causing Hidan to yawn almost miserably at their unrivalled enthusiasm.

The frost on the grass glistened in the faint rays of the sun and there was a slight cold breeze in the air. Winter was fast approaching and in order to make it back before the annual snowfall in December they'd have to step up the pace along the way.

This meant longer treks and fewer pit stops to rest.

Although it wasn't ideal to go to such extremes-especially when the winter weather was starting to gradually seep in, it was either that or risk being delayed or worse yet, frozen to death out in the snow upon their return.

This was the least of their concerns though, each was too taken up in their own thoughts to remember how treacherous the weather could and will become.

Despite the bravado masks they'd placed on their faces, internally they were at war with their emotions.

Kakuzu for the most part was concerned of the expenses of the trip, wondering what would be the best way to keep costs low so that they had enough to last the entire trip there-and-back, not only that, but he was partially worried that they may be noticed by other Ninja that were familiar with the listed criminals in the Bingo book. If they were attacked during their travels, this would cause unnecessary delays.

Hidan was more annoyed with the length of the travel and how much little time they would have for comfort and rest, not only that, but he had to put up with Kakuzu's sour demands and occasionally Shinko's snarky attitude. But that was a minor thing compared to the _huge_ amount of courage he'd need to gather in order to _ask_ her grandfather such a question concerning Shinko's future. Truthfully, he was panicking deep-down, usually he was one to not be bothered about such things, but this wasn't just anyone he would be talking too, Tadashii is one of the Lord's of all Vampire's and Shinko's most precious person...well, alongside himself, of course!

No pressure then, Hidan thought as he gulped a little nervously.

Shinko however, was still all at sea. She was excited as she was nervous to finally be able to meet her grandfather after almost four and a half years apart. She realised that along with her worries that Hidan and Kakuzu were shouldering their own, so she didn't voice her thoughts aloud. Deciding it'd be best just to get on the road and not waste time; she glanced at them and asked "Ready?"

Kakuzu grunted and Hidan groaned in misery, the Jashinist could feel a headache coming on already.

She hid a smile at such displays of enthusiasm (yes, that was sarcasm) and followed after Kakuzu as he took to the front as usual, Hidan trudged along a little behind her, still looking a little half-asleep.

Shinko was tempted to strike up a conversation with them, but decided against it, it was far too early in the morning to expect anything close to a positive response from them. Instead, she opened up her senses just to be on the look-out for any enemy Ninja that should wonder in their path.

For the first day, they walked and walked and walked and walked some more, by lunchtime, they'd fully awakened and were able to function a bit better, however, that didn't last once Hidan's stomach rumbled incessantly non-stop for two hours-straight since Hidan and Kakuzu had only managed to have a few spoonfuls of cereal before leaving the base earlier that morning it meant that all that walking had burned it off.

Kakuzu grew tired and had reluctantly allowed them all to stop for a break, although there weren't a river nearby to catch fish, Shinko soon went off in search of berries, fruit and the possible rabbit to please her mate.

Hidan's moods were at their worst when he had little to no sleep and barely any nutrition. Despite complaining about a lot of things, in reality, he only ever complained about the necessities. He always had a reason for his complaints.

Kakuzu went off to search for his own meal, he'd scoffed when Shinko had offered to get him some food as well and had taken off by himself into the thick forest. No doubt to have some space from Hidan and to find whatever foods he fancied. Shinko didn't take offence, though Hidan was all too willing to make a few statements of the obvious at their partner's sour attitude.

Hidan looked positively sickly and was swaying on his feet a little, although at other times, Shinko would leave him to look after himself whilst adding a few words of encouragement and scolding here-and-there, she knew he had no energy left to search for food.

She made Hidan sit down and rest, stating she'd be back soon with something for him to eat, he had no time to protest for she disappeared into the thick forest without a backward glance.

It was ten minutes later that she returned with many different types of fruit and had even managed to find a rabbit. She was proud of her findings, like a little kid showing its parent its first accomplishment and expecting some form of praise.

Hidan was dozing against a tree and Kakuzu was still nowhere in sight. She awoke Hidan by nudging him in the leg with her boot, though he was a little disgruntled at being disturbed, she knew it was mostly hunger that made his mood spiral further downwards.

She handed Hidan the various fruits and he was positively foaming at the mouth because he was so happy and hungry. He began eating straight away, occasionally sending an appreciative look her way when their eyes met. She skinned the rabbit whilst he ate, before disappearing into the forest once more to find some firewood.

Shinko brought an armful of wood back within five minutes, having exerted her energy (rather unnecessarily) just to please her mate. She swiftly made a strong fire, backing away, she let Hidan cook the rabbit how he liked it since she wasn't exactly the world's best cook.

Hidan had been extremely pleased with her efforts which made Shinko positively glow with pride. He even rubbed it in Kakuzu's face when the older man returned with his own-smaller-bundle of fruits. Kakuzu merely rolled his eyes and occasionally glanced enviously at the cooking rabbit.

Once they'd finished eating, Hidan cleared away any traces of their being there, Kakuzu beckoned Shinko over as he took out the map the red outline was marked upon the paper signalling which direction they were headed, though she couldn't help noticing the other pen marks on there, perhaps it was a way to throw off their scent should they lose the map.

Kakuzu had stated the night before they'd gone to bed that they'd have to travel along the borders of Fire country to get to Port City which was at least a week and a half away by walking on foot, which they'd then take a boat across the sea towards the countries that were rarely explored or talked about. There they'd stop in another port on the borders of Demon country. It'd roughly take them just over two weeks to pass through the country to reach the borders of Void country where Tadashii Hoshi resided.

However, at that moment, Kakuzu showed her the town they'd stop at later that evening for the night to rest and re-supply should they need too. Though she grimaced a little, it did look like a really long walk and most of it was uncovered. Which meant a lot of exposure to the sun and its heat.

Although it was a relatively mild day temperature-wise, the sun could easily fool its victims into a sense of false security.

However, Shinko didn't voice these concerns; she knew the risks involved and was willing to go to the extremes to get to their destination whilst securing Hidan and Kakuzu's safety.

For the entirety of the day, they walked across an open landscape that was as dry as the desert. Hidan was by now prattling away, mostly to Shinko, though she paid little attention and occasionally to Kakuzu, otherwise, he was ignored.

By mid-afternoon they'd passed through the borders of Fire country, with a little...coercing they'd gotten through with relatively little bother. The great thing about Fire country was that it was covered in forest, enough shade for Shinko and many places to set up an ambush and hide should they need too if faced with an enemy.

They reached a small town by nightfall, having managed to get there a couple of hours earlier than expected, Kakuzu told them that they could check-in to a hotel and just relax for the rest of the evening. The miser hadn't bothered asking if Hidan and Shinko were okay with sharing a room after the fiasco that involved Hidan's precious furniture some days ago and got them a room with two single beds. Apparently a room with two single beds cost the same amount as a room with a double bed; of course each room came with an en-suite bathroom. Kakuzu naturally went for the cheapest single room for himself in hopes of saving _some_ costs somewhere. Luckily, their rooms were on two different floors so there was little risk of being disturbed.

They all went off into their rooms to freshen up after a long day of non-stop walking. Shinko claimed the shower first and was out within five minutes; Hidan went after her and naturally took much longer. Shinko, fully dressed, stretched out on the bed languorously-much like a cat and dozed for a while. Hidan eventually emerged from the bathroom forty-five minutes later, smelling clean and looking a lot happier.

They stayed in their room for another half an hour; Shinko gave Hidan's shoulders a massage due to carrying that scythe of his all-day, whilst he chatted away to her aimlessly, only stopping now and then for her input.

Hidan met up with Kakuzu and both went off to find something to eat, whilst Shinko climbed up onto the roof of the hotel and watched the starry night sky in peace. The town was far too small to offer any sort of entertainment. Eventually, she grew tired and returned to her room, falling asleep almost instantly. Hidan returned later that night, looking a little tipsy, Shinko immediately awoke to the smell of liquor since it was almost pouring off of her mate, that and the smell of another female.

Tears burned at Shinko's eyes, though realised with some relief that the smell of another female was only on his right arm-no doubt where this other woman had been pressing herself against him in hopes to entice him and upon his lips where the woman may have taken liberty to push her luck and touch what wasn't hers.

She waited until Hidan had settled down upon his bed, half out of it due to the alcohol and Shinko resisted the urge to gag at the smell, though her anger made her ignore that.

"Who was this woman you're with?" She asked in a calm but positively bitter voice, trying to contain her anger so that she wouldn't lash out. The last thing they needed was attention being drawn to them unnecessarily.

Hidan paled at the question and could see from where he was laid upon the bed that she was shaking, though he wasn't stupid enough to think that she was crying, he could almost feel her fury radiating off of her in waves.

"She was a whore, Shinko, believe me, she kept trying to come onto me, I told her to fuck off and that I was taken, she wouldn't listen at first, but when she had the fucking nerve to kiss me, I hit her and walked away, she didn't follow me after that." Hidan wasn't very keen on sharing the whole sordid experience; in fact, it was downright embarrassing that the local whore wouldn't stop badgering him. He didn't like hitting women unless it was in battle, but that bitch had certainly deserved the treatment. But then he had sinned, when starting a fight, he was supposed to see it through to ensure absolute destruction of his opponent, that was what Jashin wanted and he hadn't done that, because the risk of unwanted attention and for someone noticing him was too high.

He would seriously need to pray his arse off in order to be forgiven.

"I see," Shinko rose to her feet "what did she look like?"

Hidan could feel his blood run cold at the question, he knew what she was going to do, part of him wanted to say; go for it! But the rational side of him was telling him to stop her before she went out of control.

"Red hair, blue eyes, pink kimono...very loud and flirty. Seriously Shinko, just forget it, she's not worth our fucking time-" Hidan stopped talking when Shinko's eyes flashed brightly in the dark, a demonic sneer crossed her face as she hissed "I'm suddenly _very_ hungry. Wait here, I'll return soon."

She moved to the window, opening it wide, she was about to jump out of it when Hidan's hand grabbed onto her arm, holding her in-place as he murmured calmly in hopes of soothing her anger "Please...Shinko; don't do this, not tonight."

She shook his hand off of her, not looking at him as the burn of tears almost became too unbearable as she kept chanting to herself that it wasn't Hidan's fault, it was the whore, but with how he used to be in the past with the local whores, she couldn't be certain if he'd at least flirted back with the woman.

"I must protect what is mine, Hidan, and you are most certainly _mine_, I can't take the risk of losing you. You and I both know that you would do the same if you were in _my_ position." Shinko took off without a backward glance and didn't return to the room until hours later, blood dripping at the corner of her mouth. Hidan was already asleep, the window she'd left through was shut and locked, it'd been a good thing she used the door. She went to bed feeling empty and restless, Hidan's back remained turned to her and she fell asleep wondering if everything would okay in the morning.

It weren't. Hidan and Shinko refused to talk to each other; the male albino kept stealing glances at Shinko unsure as to whether he should attempt a conversation after the night before. Shinko wouldn't speak to anyone at all, not even Kakuzu, who by that point was beginning to worry something bad had happened to her, though he couldn't help noticing Hidan's shifty behaviour.

Something must've transpired when Kakuzu had returned to the hotel room early the evening before, leaving Hidan back at the restaurant to enjoy the rest of his sake in his own company.

The second day flashed by quickly, since the men had, had a hearty breakfast at the hotel before leaving, they didn't stop once for the entire day to take a break. Hidan occasionally mumbled some words to himself and Kakuzu, though the miser didn't pay attention. Shinko led the trio and didn't speak a word to either of them, even once night fell. She merely went off to the river within the dense forest whilst the men set up camp and came back with enough fish to feed five people. She handed them off silently and went off into the forest away from them to sleep in a tree. Shinko dozed and listened out for intruders the entire night.

The third day wasn't any better; Shinko was up at the crack of dawn thanks to those over-enthusiastic birds chirping away loudly. She noticed that the men had fish left over from last night so she didn't bother hunting for other food; instead, she re-lit the fire and sat next to it, staring into the ember flames with haunted eyes. She'd had another nightmare the night before, though she was glad to know that she hadn't awoken the others by her moaning.

Kakuzu was the next to get up; he cleaned himself up and sealed his tent and sleeping bag inside a scroll before deciding to make himself something to eat. The miser took note of how quiet and depressed the Dhampir was, his concern hadn't lessened at all throughout the night and he'd actually had many nightmarish dreams where unseen dark creatures pull and rip away at her body, her screams had been silent and he'd been unable to move to help her.

"Why are you being so silent?" He asked the albino female in a murmur as he sat across from her, whilst his two fish cooked above the fire on a stick and just as he'd expected, he didn't receive an answer, she hadn't even looked at him or acknowledged his presence.

"You can talk to me, y'know? I won't say a word to the idiot." Kakuzu promised.

He watched her lips tremble as if she were about to cry or was about to open her mouth to speak, her onyx eyes unblinking in that unnerving stare at the fire, like she were in a trance. He wondered what could've been so bad that she wouldn't even talk to _him_, someone she'd always considered like an uncle or surrogate grandfather of sorts.

And of course, Hidan chose that moment to emerge, yawning loudly to signal his presence and Kakuzu watched Shinko's almost expressionless face shut down into that cool, silent mask she'd exerted since yesterday morning.

It went without saying that Kakuzu was pissed off with Hidan, the one moment he'd had to get an understanding of what was bothering the female and here it was, once again ruined, all hope dashed away.

Though he noticed Hidan's posture become tense as he glanced at the Dhampir, his idle chatter falling silent as he went to take a seat next to her, only to have the female standing up almost immediately and walking off into the dense forest, leaving the two men watching after her with surprised looks.

Kakuzu settled his glare on Hidan and snarled "What. Did. You. _Do_?"

Hidan faltered, opening his mouth to speak, only to shut it again and shake his head, a solemn look sweeping over his features, it almost added years on him and he looked very troubled.

After breakfast, the trio continued on with their travels, still not talking to each other, once again Shinko was in front of them, keeping a very wide distance between them and her, whilst Hidan took to the rear once more, looking incredibly thoughtful. Although Kakuzu felt blessed with the silence, he found it rather tiresome when the silence was built upon the back of the misery of two lovers.

The day passed with little concern and once again, evening was upon them. Hidan set up the camp whilst Shinko hunted for some small animal and Kakuzu took out his map to see how long it'd take them to get to the next town.

That night, Shinko returned with eggs, salmon and some berries, such a meal was a rare delicacy in the great outdoors and the two men knew that they wouldn't have gathered such a feast by themselves. Shinko's hunting skills truly were extraordinary.

Shinko went back into the forest to bathe and left the men to build a fire and eat. The river was cold so she didn't stay in it for more than five minutes. The river glistened in the moonlight and Shinko became entranced at such a sight that she forgot all sense of time and merely watched the sky and the river upon the embankment.

"Shinko..." Hidan's voice interrupted her silent haven and she found herself rigid, but nevertheless remained where she was sat.

The Jashinist had just finished with his praying only to find that his mate hadn't returned for a couple of hours, Kakuzu hadn't eased his worries by stating that she could've been captured and raped by a group of sex-starved men. So he'd gone in search of her himself, thinking that perhaps Kakuzu was overstretching his imagination beyond its usual capabilities.

He felt almost guilty for interrupting her as she looked so peaceful and calm, but knew that she had to return soon before they went to sleep.

"You've been gone for hours...I was beginning to worry..." his gaze remained on her back and he wasn't stupid enough to not notice how tense she'd become since he began talking to her, she wouldn't even look round or acknowledge his presence.

"Listen, about the other night...for what it's worth...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stayed out so late and perhaps I should've tried harder to get that..._whore_ to leave me alone." He waited for a response of any kind, but none was forthcoming, it made his heart squeeze at how silent she was with him. Her silence made him incredibly anxious, this was the first time since she'd left her grandfather all those years ago that she was being silent-_with him_.

However, at the same time, anger began to bubble up within him at why she was being so cold with _him_, he hadn't done anything wrong! Sure, he could've tried harder to get that common whore to leave him alone, he could've just left earlier to return to Shinko, but he'd longed for some time alone and to have a drink without interruptions.

"I don't see why you're fucking punishing _me_! I didn't encourage that bitch and I certainly didn't ask for her to keep bothering me! I don't see why you're being such a fucking pussy about it all, I don't understand why you're so fucking upset by this-especially since you killed the Jashin-damned bitch!" He exploded all at once.

She still wouldn't look at him and he felt his frustrations ebb away slightly, it felt good to get that off his chest, but he didn't feel any better for doing it. He made an irritated sound in the back of his throat and turning away, he snapped "Whatever, just...don't stay out here too long."

He left her then, knowing it was futile to expect her to forgive him so easily, so he left her to stew. She'd come to him when she was good and ready.

However Shinko could feel the burn of her tears as they threatened to push over the brim, but she willed them away. Of course she realised that he hadn't meant to destroy her trust in him, it seemed unintentional, but she still couldn't be sure as to whether he was telling the truth or not. She didn't know whether he encouraged the whore or not. Most of her believed that he wouldn't do such a thing, especially to her and knowing the consequences, but another part of her nagged at her incessantly, reminding her of how he used to be with his other women in the years she'd gotten to know him. She could look into his thoughts and see what'd really happened for herself, but she was too frightened of what she may find there.

She also believed that when they'd overcome this event, she'd want to do it by trust alone, she didn't want to feel the need to keep looking into Hidan's memories and thoughts to see whether he was telling the truth or not. A relationship built without trust would be doomed from the start and theirs had come ready-made with trust; lots of it. And she didn't understand how one little screw-up like this could affect them so much.

Perhaps she was blowing things _way_ out of proportion, she couldn't be certain, all she could see was her point of view and feel the hurt that someone had dared to _try_ and take Hidan away from her. She loved him with everything she has, he was one of her most precious people in the world and she wouldn't sit back and allow him to be taken away. That was why she'd gone into town that evening, luring the whore into a dark alleyway with the promise of some lesbian action and money only to be faced with a painful death. Her screams hadn't been heard since Shinko had smothered the whore's mouth with her hand.

In a way, she'd been terribly petty about the whole thing, but in the world of Vampire's when someone's mate, loved one or a possession was threatened, they defended it with a fierce violence that bordered on murderously deranged. It was one of the many faults of a Vampire; they were incredibly possessive of what was theirs and would take no threat lying down submissively.

Shinko understood that Hidan and Kakuzu didn't understand her views on most things because she was specifically programmed from birth to defend what was hers to the death.

Even so, it still hurt. She was hurting because of what'd happened with Hidan, how she'd reacted and how they were with each other now. Guilt and hurt weighed heavily upon her conscience, yet she knew that she couldn't forgive him until the hurt had subsided-at least a little.

That night, she'd slept in the trees once more, once again plagued by nightmares. Her sleep pattern disturbed by images filled with gore and violence. Hidan and Kakuzu resigned themselves to sleeping in their tents once more, though neither had a particularly wonderful night's sleep.

By the fourth morning, it was established that Hidan was sick. He'd been up every hour of the night with a fever, stomach cramps and puking, it seemed it was due to food poisoning. Kakuzu was annoyed by this, but surprisingly, Shinko said she'd take care of him. The miser hadn't argued, for he hoped to get at least a few hours of decent sleep.

Hidan was shocked but incredibly warmed when Shinko came into his tent, kneeled down next to him and pressed a wet cloth of his face, cleaning the sweat that gathered there. His panting was harsh and he'd been incredibly thirsty, she'd made no sound of irritation to his constant demands of water and even when he'd gone to be sick, she was there with him, rubbing his back in soothing circles and to wipe his mouth afterwards. She was so gentle with him and there was a loving concern in her eyes that he'd found himself at a loss for words. The anger he'd felt building up towards her completely disappeared in that moment.

She stroked his greasy hair without worry of getting her hands dirty, she listened to his ramblings of nonsense whilst he was half-delirious, she didn't snap at him with his demands and she didn't complain about her lack of sleep when he was unable to settle because his stomach hurt so much. She had wrinkled her nose at the smell of his sick, but she remained by his side throughout the entire ordeal and his love for her grew spontaneously. He knew in his heart of hearts that he would never find another woman like her for the rest of eternity, no matter how far he searched.

When the sun rose in the distance, Kakuzu sealed the tents and various knick knacks away whilst Shinko got rid of any evidence of their stay and continued to feed Hidan water as he sat miserably on a log where the fire used to be. His stomach had finally settled, but when Kakuzu went to get some breakfast, he had to walk away from the smell. Shinko understood his predicament and found him some nuts; it was a good source of protein and fibre. He needed something to give him energy.

Throughout the day, Hidan struggled to keep up with them and often or not, Shinko and Kakuzu would have to stop to wait for him to catch up or slow down altogether at an almost snail's pace so that he didn't lose sight of them as they travelled through the thickening forest.

It was by late afternoon that their peaceful journey was interrupted.

A group of six ANBU adorning Konoha headbands found them and stated that they were there to capture the Akatsuki; of course they only needed _one_ member to do this. The males of the group jested out loud to take Shinko with them, but clearly they didn't have just interrogation on their minds. This had angered Hidan somewhat and had told them in no polite terms to fuck off.

The leader noticing Hidan's sickly visage and remembering his face in the Bingo book ordered them to take Hidan alive, but to also make sure he was incapacitated. Kakuzu was a little offended by that since they thought Hidan was worth capturing and not him, clearly they'd disregarded just how strong he really was!

Although Shinko was still hurt with what'd transpired between herself and Hidan a few nights before, found herself infuriated that they would dare suggest to take her mate from her in her presence. Although she and Hidan weren't exactly back on track with their relationship, she knew they'd reached some form of understanding during the night before where she'd had to tend to him without any rest. They were well on their way to sorting out the little spat in their relationship and she weren't going to let anyone ruin that!

The fighting began in an instant, Shinko singled out the leader, wanting to slaughter him brutally for even suggesting of taking her mate away from her and quickly learned he was quite strong. Kakuzu fought against three of the ANBU and Hidan struggled to defend himself against the remaining two ANBU.

The fighting lasted for almost an hour, Kakuzu had successfully killed two of his opponents, whilst Hidan had only seriously injured one of his and Shinko was loathed to admit that the ANBU captain was perhaps on par with her skills. The battle turned for the worst when Hidan's body grew tired and he almost collapsed from sickness and lack of nutrition, Shinko noticed this and reluctantly left her fight with the ANBU captain and just as Hidan's opponent went to slice his head from his shoulders. Shinko jumped in the way and grabbed Hidan before taking off into the trees, though she didn't get far as the blade that was aimed for Hidan cut through her side and along her back, causing her to falter and fall to the ground in a heap with her mate.

Hissing, she clutched at her large wound desperately, hoping to stem the flow of blood. Kakuzu was too preoccupied to help as his battle with his opponent intensified to its climax. Hidan's opponent and the ANBU captain made their way towards their huddled forms on the floor. Hidan was panicking in his half-delirious state, not only that one of them would be captured and their mission would fail, but because Shinko was losing so much blood, it was unnatural for someone to still be conscious due to how much blood was pooling around her.

Hidan's opponent lifted his blade to finished Shinko off and Hidan made a sound of desperation as he reached for a kunai in his pouch, though his movements were slowed due to his sickness. But he hadn't needed to help, for Shinko grabbed onto the ANBU's gloved hand that was holding the blade, standing up, she got right into the ANBU's face and gave a loud, terrifying and monstrous roar. Everyone halted in their fighting and placed their hands over their ears in a bid to protect their hearing but it was futile.

Shinko wrenched the blade from the now loosened ANBU's grip and with no hesitation; she sliced the ANBU's head clear off his shoulders just as he'd planned to do to her mate. Kakuzu took this opportune moment and attacked his opponent who was still clutching at his ears desperately, successfully killing him in one fell swoop.

Shinko focused her attention on the ANBU captain who-like his companion was still clutching at his ears desperately and she sent the blade through his heart in a flash of pure speed that was too quick for eyes to capture. The ANBU captain coughed and fell dead to the ground.

Shinko was panting harshly, but soon dropped the blade, whimpering a little in pain as she moved down to Hidan's side, brushing away the hair that clung to his forehead due to his sweat and murmured "Hidan...my Hidan..."

The Jashinists gaze was blurring every few seconds or so, trying to quell the dizziness and focus on his loves words, he found them soothing and at the same time, very disturbing. She sounded very pained and small. He felt her hand upon his face, stroking it tenderly as she'd done the night before and his gaze refocused a little in comfort.

"Shinko...are you alright?" He whispered, noticing the blood pooling around her body and her laboured breathing, it unnerved him to see her in such a state and he knew deep-down that she wasn't alright.

She gave a small, pained smile and went to reply; only blood came from her throat, her vision danced in small black dots before blurring altogether, she felt herself falling and heard her name being called, but she didn't feel herself hit the ground.

And then everything went black.

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**A/N: HOLY CRAP! My hands fucking **_**hurt!**_** No joke, it's not even funny! :( At last, I think I can finally see the end coming! *sheds happy tears* As much as I like this story, I've grown fed-up of having to type it out, I can't wait for it to be over with and yet...not, it'll be sad once it's finished since I've spent over 2 bloody years on this thing and had previously spent a year typing the original. 3 years of my life...all in one story. That's pretty awesome :D Goes to show just how much work and effort I put into this damn thing! :)**

**Today I'm shouting out a BIG thank you to; 'xXLoveXxXIsXxXDeadlyXx', 'Fire Reaper' and 'Miko Hayashi' for their lovely reviews! :D**

**!Reviews are appreciated!**


	31. Week One: Day 5

**A/N: I have 3 VERY important announcements to make, so please read them.**

**~I have some links to my deviantART account on my profile page for you all to see what Shinko looks like, I recommend you take a peep. BUT you may need to highlight the links and open them in a new tab/window to actually view them :)**

**~Secondly, I realise people may be confused as to how I spell the term for half-vampire and half-human hybrid. There are actually many translations, few being; 'Dhampire', 'Dhampir', 'Dunpeel', 'Dampeer', 'Dhampyr' or even 'Dhampyre', there are probably others, but these are the few I've found. I'm more familiar with the first four because I read a very interesting-yet brain-meltingly complicated novel called; 'Vampire Hunter D' as well as its various sequels. Now, because it's originally a Japanese novel, the translations to English may be a bit **_**off**_** at times. Because the main character; 'D' is half-vampire and half-human, the first four given names for such hybrids were used in each novel. It's bloody confusing! They kept changing the name for half-vampire and half-human hybrids; they even did it in the films! So yeah, just a little back-story to the actual terms. They all mean the same thing, I guess it's just a matter of preference, after a while, I preferred the term; 'Dhampir' since it isn't so obviously taken from the word; 'Vampire' *rolls eyes***

**~Thirdly, I wish to apologise for the long wait, I'd started work experience in October which ran for six weeks and had been working my arse off non-stop. 30 hours over 5 days a week is tiring and on my days off I was trying to catch up with last minute Christmas shopping as well as seeing friends and family. I'm aiming to have this story done before my 20****th**** birthday in April, so please be patient. Again, I'm SO sorry! **

**Anywho, sorry for the long intro, haha! Just needed to classify a few of things :) I also hope you all had a **_**fabulously**_** safe Christmas and New Year; hope you all get the pressies you asked for! And now, here's my very late pressie to you all, read, enjoy and review! :D**

* * *

**Summary:**Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense. In other words; shinobi at the level of Genin and Chuunin wouldn't be able to kill S-class criminals *glares at Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto in the Manga book* and I would also make it shorter, over 500 chapters is fucking ridiculous!

**Part Thirty-One: Week One: Day 5**

It was later that evening that Shinko awoke, the first thing she could _feel_ was a nauseating pain-specifically located in her left-side and back, it burned just as bad as a dozen wooden stakes.

She tried to make a sound of protest but found her jaw locked into place that she couldn't open it and perhaps that was a good thing, for she felt the horrid urge to scream and scream until she couldn't scream anymore.

Instead, she took her mind away from the pain and focused on her surroundings.

The first thing Shinko could _hear_ was the heavy downpour of water-most likely rain, the dull rumbles of thunder or someone banging a drum in the distance. The familiar crackling that came with a fire, she could feel its warmth ebbing around her, coveting her in a blanket; though she was far from comfortable. She felt she was lying against something hard which meant she was either still on the ground or her partner's had managed to find a dwelling of some sort. It felt too much like a brick wall and rather cool to be a bed. Flexing her fingers a little she found that she was correct in her assumptions as she felt the tell-tale signs of dry dirt and rock beneath her fingertips.

As her hearing focused she could pick up the vibrations and beating of two heartbeats and a deep almost incoherent mumbling, the voice seemed vaguely familiar and it soothed her anxieties almost instantly-though the pain was far from eased.

Her throat was dry and sore, as if it'd been rubbed down with sand paper, it hurt to swallow and she fought the terrible urge to choke and cough, she desperately wanted to quench her thirst with some blood, her head was feeling heavy and thick, her thoughts muddled and uncertain, she couldn't remember much of what happened. Much of the past few days seemed blurred as if covered in a fog, almost as if they'd been dreams rather than reality.

Although the fire provided some warmth, she felt herself shivering, it was strange, she wasn't cold, she rarely felt the cold since her body was naturally cool, and yet she couldn't stop the constant shivering. She must've made some sound of protest against her bodies unorthodox mannerism, it defied the nature of her kind, for in order to shiver, she needed to be alive; her blood needed to flow, so what was this?

"Shinko?" A voice asked in hope and curiosity, once again, it sounded familiar but she couldn't place where she'd heard it before, though it was distinctly male.

She tried to move, tried to reply that, yes, she is awake, but she couldn't unlatch her jaw and would no doubt be unable to form any sentences, she tried to move but the pain flared up once more and her body went rigid. Instead, some horrible, pathetic whimper escaped her dry throat, almost a sound of a pained animal.

"Leave her, Hidan, she needs rest." A much deeper voice spoke up from further away and she suddenly felt like kicking herself for forgetting her partner's, she was unable to forget them at the best of times so she must be really out-of-it for forgetting them now.

"But she's in fucking pain! I've prayed my arse off to keep her from dying, but there's only so much Lord Jashin can do for those that don't follow his ways!" Hidan, she could tell, was annoyed and sounded incredibly anxious, she could picture him now, sat next to her, eyes burning brightly, frown creasing his handsome face, one of his hands gripping his rosary and the other gripping his hair in frustration.

"Of course she's in pain, idiot, it's a good thing I noticed the damn poison on the sword, or she'd have been well and truly dead by now." Kakuzu retorted sounding incredibly unhappy.

A snort came from her left side "As if! She's way fucking stronger than that!"

A growl echoed around them "She was almost sliced in-half saving your sorry arse and ended up poisoned because of it, you should be thanking your stupid God that she made it this far-with no help from him, her healing abilities are remarkable, _but_ there's only so much her body can do."

There was some silence before Kakuzu broke it again, seeming less angry but still rather grumpy "In order to heal, she needs to drink blood, just like we have to eat and hydrate ourselves, her cells are functioned to repair any damage done to her body, it'll be a concern if her cells start to break-down. Over-using one's cells is dangerous, not only does it put a strain on the body but also on her chakra reserves, let's just hope she has enough chakra to heal herself completely."

Shinko didn't remember anything after that, she realised later, that she'd fallen unconscious once more, the pain obviously being too much to handle and she found herself glad that she didn't have to suffer the entire night awake and yet delirious and unable to move or talk.

It was by mid-morning the next day that she awoke, still feeling rather groggy and her body aching, but the worst of the pain was gone, it seemed that her healing abilities had won the battle, but not the war, she'd always known that by having the natural ability of her body healing, she needed to keep herself well-fed so that she'd heal faster. When she lost copious amounts of blood, it only spelled danger to not only herself but those around her. Slow healing meant calling upon more chakra and considering she usually has to keep herself in-check around her mate and the organization, she very well couldn't afford to snap out of control and rampage.

And judging by how insanely dry her throat still felt, she knew she had to seek her source of food before the end of the day if there was any hope of staying sane.

With little effort now, she opened her heavy eyes and found herself staring above at a stone low-roof, light from up ahead at the entrance and exit to what was no doubt a cave of sorts filtered through and danced along the crevices. It almost felt like a blessing to see light again, she'd been in the muggy and painful dark all night and it had been terrifying, being unable to find her one source of comfort in those dark times; Hidan, she longed for comfort now, to be reminded that she was safe and alive and that her mate was well again.

In the few moments of silence she had to herself, Shinko remembered in detail now where she had none upon waking up in the night that Hidan had been sick as well, which was strange, since his God was supposed to be protecting him from such things. Illnesses, mortality and old age, he should be having none of that, but lately...

It was just another hurdle that she knew she had to overcome-at least, once she stands upright she will.

Which was easier said than done, having to force herself onto her feet was harder than she'd thought it'd be, considering she hadn't moved at all during the night, or forever how long she'd been laid there, her muscles had cramped and as she managed to sit up with the support of the cave wall, she began to experience horrid pins and needles not only in her legs, but her arms as well.

She resisted the urge to groan and instead gave a low hiss, thankfully it didn't echo, yet she couldn't help but look about herself curiously. The remnants of a fire remained possibly from the night before, yet there were no tell-tale signs of anyone else having been there apart from herself.

She was just about to force herself to her feet when a figure entered the cave, casting a long shadow along the floor and towards where she was sat, the footsteps were heavy and rather rushed, as if the person was angry, yet she could tell by the outline of the figure that it was Hidan.

His heartbeat and scent had been easy enough to sense, but what gave it away the most was the outline of his scythe in his shadow.

As expected, he came rushing through into the cave, looking thoroughly displeased, muttering curses under his breath, though she weren't sure why he was angry, she immediately assumed him and Kakuzu had bickered again.

It happened often enough to become a habit for them both, half the time, they didn't even argue over something worthwhile, just over miniscule problems and opinions.

She was about to catch his attention by clearing her throat, but he beat her to it, noticing her sat up as she was staring at him expectantly, almost gave him a fright-not that he would admit that out loud, of course.

Before she could even so much as speak, he was at her side, holding her to him gently, his hands gripped her upper-arms in a desperate hold and began asking many questions at once, mostly to do with her health.

She was genuinely touched by his concern, not many others would even look her way twice let alone ask how she was feeling. Even so, the constant babble of questions began to irritate her.

"I'm fine, don't fuss." She murmured quietly, there was no fight in her voice-she was too tired for that.

He frowned at her "Don't tell me _not_ to fucking worry; you've been unconscious for almost a whole day! I...I thought I was going to lose you..."

Shinko stared at his broken expression; his eyes held a distant pain and they appeared hollow; haunting. She didn't like that look on his face, deep down it actually frightened her.

"I'm sorry, my love, I know you've been worried...y'know, the strange thing was, I remember hearing voices and that horrid pain..." she trailed off and hadn't realised he'd been paying attention until his hand gripped hers tightly. Looking round into those sad eyes she found that there was also a hidden curiosity to them as well, almost begging her to continue on her thoughtless babble.

She gave a small smile as she moved to lean against him, staring at the wall opposite, she fell into her thoughts, though spoke aloud for him to understand.

"I don't remember much of what happened, but I think I was awake at some point during the night, I heard voices...I think they were yours and Kakuzu's, I can't remember what you were both talking about...everything seems so hazy," she shivered "it was like a nightmare, but much worse...I couldn't remember who I was or where I was, it was so dark and I couldn't see anything and the pain..." her teeth ground together as she felt a small stab of discomfort along her left-side, no doubt still throbbing from the large wound she'd received. If she focused hard enough, she'd be able to almost _feel_ that horrid burning sensation again.

"It was unlike anything I've ever felt before...even that time I'd lost my arm, this wound," she pressed her arm around to cup her aching side "it burned...I...I can't tell you how much it hurt, but all I could feel was the pain and I couldn't move or talk since it hurt so much. I was scared..." she looked away to one side, away from his curious and heart-broken stare "I wasn't afraid of dying...or of the pain, it was that I'd _wanted_ to die, that's what scared me. I've never wanted to die before; to end it all. And even then, I kept thinking to myself; 'I'm forgetting something, there's a _reason_ why I'm still here, why I shouldn't die'..."

She looked round and gave him a tender smile "only now do I realise that even when I was in such agony, _you_ were the reason I needed to remain. I couldn't-wouldn't leave you behind. Although I didn't know it at the time, now that I have my senses back, I can definitely say that I'm here because of you-"

Shinko didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Hidan held her to him, kissing her passionately upon the lips, with such urgency that it made her head spin from such dizzy pleasure.

Upon waking up, she'd regained her wits, senses and memories and looking back over the night before when she'd been in such agony, she had a feeling that she may never get to kiss Hidan ever again and it hurt so much to think of what would've happened if she'd ceased existing.

But she didn't wish to dwell on such thoughts, she's alive and here, with her love, she felt extremely thankful to be given another chance at life and she knew she'd be extra-careful now. She couldn't risk leaving behind the only man she's ever wanted to spend the rest of eternity with.

"I fucking prayed _all night_ to Jashin to save you; to return you to me," he pressed his face into her white hair, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath of her scent; savouring it. "I'd like to think I helped...but I'm not so sure...but I know one thing for certain," he pulled away and looked into her own dark orbs with a serious expression "I fucking _love_ you, you crazy bitch! Don't _ever_ risk your life for me like that again! I'm fucking immortal, being cut up won't kill me, but you..." his body trembled violently at the disturbing thought.

She gave him another tender smile that made his breath catch in his throat, she winced a little as she turned to face him, she placed a hand behind his head and pressed their foreheads together, staring into his eyes, she murmured "I know, I know. I can't guarantee it won't happen again, but I'll try not to be so 'suicidal' in future."

He pulled away; pouting "That's not even fucking funny!"

She gave a half-hearted shrug "Can't blame a girl for trying though," she sent him a wink "could you help me up?"

He was on his feet and holding a hand out to her before she could even finish her sentence.

She took his hand and he helped her up, she hissed and stumbled into his open arms at the rough and sudden movement, looking down at her side, she wasn't at all surprised to see wrappings of bandages covering her entire stomach and back.

"Are you alright, Shinko?"

She gave him a small, pained smile and it instantly reminded him of the same smile she'd given him before she'd passed out the day before. The smile pulled at his heartstrings, rendering him incapable of speech since it hurt so much, yet she nodded and he helped her to straighten up and placed an arm around her for support.

They walked side-by-side towards the mouth of the cave and into the rays of the sun.

Shinko squinted at the bright light and once they'd adjusted she was surprised to see that they'd taken shelter not too far away from the famous statues of 'The Valley of the End', she'd only passed through this way with Hidan and Kakuzu a handful of times. The giant statues of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju facing opposite each other, it'd been where they'd battled and supposedly, Madara had been slain.

Either way, Shinko was not really one for such tales, many stories that have been passed through the generations were often taken out of context and twisted, each one sounding a little different from the other. It was like Chinese whispers.

Her thoughts were broken off as she saw Kakuzu coming through the trees towards them, he paused in mid-walk, looking rather surprised to see her stood there and awake, perhaps even _alive_.

"You look like crap." Kakuzu stated in the gruff voice of his that made her laugh aloud.

Hidan sent the older man an unimpressed stare, but was ignored.

"Thanks, hello to you too, Kakuzu!" Shinko smiled in amusement, for some reason, she couldn't stop smiling, she felt as if a huge weight has been lifted, though she weren't sure what or why that was.

His eyes twinkled at her in what appeared in humour, she could easily picture him smiling underneath his mask, though he'd be loathed to admit such a thing aloud-especially with Hidan stood not too far away.

She pulled away from Hidan and limped towards the older man, she stumbled and his hands latched onto her forearms to steady her. She smiled sheepishly at him and pulled him into a hug.

Hidan although felt an overwhelming rush of jealousy, yet he reminded himself that Shinko was _his_, she'd never string him along; play him for a fool, especially with Kakuzu of all people. Yet, he also couldn't help but smirk at the miser, the older man looked dead uncomfortable.

Kakuzu's arms slowly wound round her smaller form, uncertain as where to place them since he didn't wish to cause her any discomfort, though he noticed Hidan's smirk and resisted the urge to glare back at the Jashin worshipper.

"How are you feeling?" He asked breaking the silence and successfully taking the limelight off of him.

She pulled back and looked up at him "Well, I ache..._a lot_, but it's nothing a little walking won't cure me of."

Kakuzu shifted his feet as he pulled away from her completely, giving her a hard glare, he stated "You won't be walking today; we will be taking it in turns to carry you."

Shinko blinked in surprise and looked over her shoulder at her mate, noticing Hidan wearing a stern expression, almost telling her to _not_ protest since they'd likely carry her whether she wished it or not. Normally, she would've protested, but she felt so drained and tired, she'd even struggled to limp over to Kakuzu! She'd be stupid to think they'd get even a mile before she'd collapse from exhaustion. Besides, they were only concerned for her well-being.

"Fine," she sighed.

**/*\*/*\**

During the rest of the fifth day, Shinko was carried by Hidan and Kakuzu, both taking it in turns and although the Jashinist was loathed to admit wanting help from the miser, he realised he wouldn't be able to keep up a reasonable pace if he was to carry her the entire way there.

The Dhampir slept the entire day away; she didn't wake up once, even when they'd switched carrying her.

Naturally, the men were rather concerned, but Kakuzu stated that she needed to rest up as much as possible to regain her strength.

The day was spent walking, the men did stop for a quick lunch which consisted of a rabbit Hidan had caught and some berries and nuts Kakuzu had gathered. Although the forest of the Fire country was vast and gave much needed cover, it was also harder to find food.

The day was spent untroubled; occasionally Hidan would break the silence and attempt to start a conversation which Kakuzu was never too thrilled to hold out. They'd had a lucky break to not be spotted by Konoha ninja that often patrolled the area. In all seriousness, Kakuzu had been extremely surprised that no one had come for the dead ANBU, he was almost certain they'd send back-up and that made him uneasy.

He didn't know whether it was just a pure stroke of luck that they'd successfully avoided any conflicts or whether fate had yet another wave of bad luck to throw at them.

His troubles were confirmed when they arrived at a small town later on the evening of the fifth day, both deciding to take a rest before traversing the remainder of the journey through the wilderness. He'd also need to re-supply on his first-aid kit and even buy some food ready for when they reached the other side of the sea to Demon country. If he remembered correctly-and he usually does, Demon country is devoid of all life, food would be scarce at best and monsters prowled the area, creatures he'd remembered Leader mentioning as Werewolves of the 'Gekkou' clan or in common tongue, the 'Moon' clan. They roamed the Demon country and since Tadashii's home resides on the borders of both Demon and Void country he knew they'd have to travel _through_ Demon country to get to Tadashii and that meant being _quiet_. Something Hidan was terrible at accomplishing.

But perhaps with Shinko around, she might hopefully be able to keep him in-check.

Before entering the small town, he'd noticed ANBU patrolling the area surrounding it. It seemed that they were highly aware of their presence in their country.

Kakuzu couldn't help but think of how clever they were. It seemed that no doubt from reports they'd known of Shinko's demise and Hidan's sickness-though he was better now, the ANBU knew of their hindrances and understood that they'd need to stop for somewhere to rest and re-supply if they were to continue on their merry way.

This was also a pain, he hated having to disguise himself, yet to remain obscure, there'd be no other way. However, he couldn't help noticing all the lanterns lit up, there seemed to be more people around than the town was suitable to cater too. Stalls were being set up, women dressed in kimono's, it was then that he realised with a rising wave of dread that there was a festival on.

He couldn't remember off the top of his head _which_ holiday they were celebrating, he never went to such over-priced gatherings such as this, so he didn't bother to remember them. But he knew it was some celebration of winter.

"Oi, Kakuzu, what the fuck are we gonna do now, huh? There's ANBU scum all over the fucking place!" Hidan grumbled, not looking at all pleased.

Kakuzu glanced at the albino male, watching as the younger man roused Shinko from her sleep so that she was aware of the situation, before he cast his eyes back onto the small town.

"We have no other choice, Hidan. We have to rest here for the night and re-supply, we might not get another chance until we reach Tadashii's dwelling."

Shinko was now awake, though leaned against Hidan for support as they were sat up in a tree, watching over the tiny people moving through the small town far below. She had no clue how far they'd travelled, yet she realised they weren't at Port city yet. She couldn't smell water anywhere nearby.

She knew they were stopping to rest, yet she couldn't help noticing the ANBU swarming all over the place, all of them sticking out like a sore thumb. Shinko snorted mentally and rolled her eyes, wasn't the whole point of being in the ANBU to camouflage themselves into their surroundings when hunting their targets? It made no sense as to _why_ they allowed themselves to be seen like that.

Unless they were hoping to scare them off by standing out in the open for all to see.

It hadn't scared them off, this she knew, she could tell by Kakuzu's squinted eyes as he stared almost obsessively at the town below. She knew that he was thinking of a way _around_ the ANBU so that they wouldn't be spotted and captured.

"Looks like they've got some fucking party on as well, huh," Hidan stated, though Kakuzu wasn't listening, instead, the albino male looked round at Shinko and grinned "hey, babe, wanna go with me to the festival?"

Kakuzu heard _that_, he watched as Shinko's eyes widened and practically _shone_ in happiness, she clung to Hidan's arm as she replied almost childishly "Oh yes! I've never been to a festival before!"

Hidan sent a satisfied smirk at Kakuzu, whilst the older male growled and glared in anger. Here he was trying to think of the best way to stay low and _not_ be spotted and there's Hidan-once again, wanting to do the total opposite. He'd blow their cover! And they seriously couldn't afford to waste anymore time.

Judging by how cold it's gotten and from the heavy downpour the night before, he realised the winter weather was setting in, they couldn't afford any distractions if they wanted to get onto the boat in time to take them across the sea before the bad weather prevents them from doing just that then they had to lie-low and stay on schedule.

It would've been another story if it were spring or summer.

"No, you both won't be going. This place is crawling with ANBU, we don't need to draw ourselves _any_ attention if we want to make it on time to Tadashii's home. We may not get another opportunity as this." Kakuzu snarled at them, wanting to bang their heads together at how childish and reckless they could both be.

Shinko's expression visibly saddened at this, though gave a nod to signal she'd understood, he knew seeing Tadashii was top priority for both Hidan and Shinko, so they wouldn't go against his logic or command.

"Fuck off, old man, we _never_ have time to go anywhere _fun_, we're _always_ running around like bloody headless chickens for that damned Leader! I haven't been out to one of these festival-things since I was a kid and Shinko's never even been to one!" Hidan retorted angrily, hating the disappointed look his girl had on her face.

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he pointed at Hidan "_You_ are the _biggest_ loud mouth ever to cross the Earth, idiot! Shinko-I trust, _you_-not on yours on anyone else's life would I _ever_ trust you to be low-key! I'm not willing to have our real identities discovered, just because you want to go out and have _fun_, you're a fucking criminal and an _adult_-grow-up!"

Hidan flinched at this and Shinko couldn't help defending him "Stop it, now is not the time to argue, if you're so keen on having our identities remain a secret then both of you stop running your mouths off like motor engines! We can use disguises to get in, I have my persuasion technique to help us-should we need it, but there's honestly no harm in exploring," she looked at Kakuzu, her eyes softening a little "you said yourself that you need to get supplies, well, Hidan and I can go off and we can meet up with you later, how does that sound?"

Kakuzu looked begrudgingly at them both, his hand went up to massage his temples and he snapped "Fine! But you must keep the idiot in-check, if he so much as gives away our identities, I'll bury the _both_ of you so far underground, you won't even be able to dig your ways out; _understood_?"

Hidan and Shinko's expressions perked up at this and they both nodded in agreement.

**/*\*/*\**

All three of them transformed into their disguises.

Hidan made himself look rather average, still with his shirt hung open, but his hair became a shade of medium brown and was spiked up rather than gelled back and his eyes were of a darker brown. His clothes were simple as he wore grey trousers, a white shirt with the top buttons undone and denim jacket, his rosary hidden beneath the shirt and he wore the standard ankle-length zori.

Kakuzu made himself similar in appearance, except with the stitches, he was mask-less, his long and usually messy hair was now neat and held together in a low tail, his eyes we still of a light green, though the red around his eyes had disappeared, his voice wasn't as deep when he spoke and he had a fake beauty spot underneath his left eye. His clothes consisted of black trousers, long-legged zori, a red shirt and a burgundy jacket slung on over the top.

Shinko made herself a few inches shorter, her wasiet-length white hair became shoulder-length and was black, her eyes that were onyx-black when not using her powers and bright blue when she was using her powers were instead of a medium grey. She made her chest a few sizes smaller and was wearing a knee-length deep purple skirt, an elbow-length white top and a light grey long-sleeved cardigan, dangly silver earrings and standard ankle-length zori. Both she and Hidan were wearing a silver band on their wedding fingers, both pretending to already be married.

Shinko and Hidan immediately shifted into the roles of a happy couple as they linked arms, whilst Kakuzu-if asked, would state that he's a distant relative of Shinko's, preferring _not_ to be related to Hidan despite their similar disguises, walked on ahead of them.

Kakuzu led his companions through the small town, each trying not to be suspicious and act as normal as they could, each of them smiled and greeted the many ANBU guarding the entrance, copying what other visitors had done. Luckily, they'd gone unnoticed by the Leaf shinobi...for now.

The streets were rather busy, though not too crowded; they continued to go unnoticed as they walked into one of two hotels in the small town. They were also lucky enough to get the last room available and it had two single beds and a sofa, as well as an en-suite bathroom, however, upon arriving at the room, did they realise how small the beds were and that someone was going to have to sleep on the rather ratty looking sofa.

Shinko went to say she'd sleep on the sofa-hoping to quell any arguments before they even started, but both men immediately shot that down since she was still in slight pain from her wound.

Kakuzu decided that Hidan was to sleep on the sofa since _he_ was the one paying and also to get revenge on having Shinko gang up on him so that the two lovebirds could go to the stupid festival.

Hidan of course was _not_ happy and was quick to complain, that is, until Shinko-who'd been sensing out for any ANBU or chakra nearby told them the coast was clear and they immediately dropped their disguises. Shinko went to sit down on the bed and hissed a little at her aching side, it'd taken _so_ much restraint to _not_ limp through town.

Kakuzu told her to take her top off so he could inspect her wound, Hidan of course became increasingly defensive and jealous, but was relieved to see that Shinko didn't look too comfortable with it either, nevertheless, she obeyed. Kakuzu was unaffected by her lack of dress, she still had a bra on anyway, but Hidan on the other hand was struggling to _not_ become aroused by such a sight and instead watched Kakuzu take the bandages off from her mid-section with haunted eyes.

He'd remembered the day before when there'd been so much blood everywhere; Shinko's blood. Half of her body cut open, her innards on display and hung from her huge gash. It'd made Hidan want to vomit and faint at the same time. He'd barely remembered much of what'd happened after that, only that Kakuzu had begun cleaning the wound, stuffing her insides back in where they belonged, it was only then that he'd noticed the affects and colouring of poison dripping from her wound, colouring her blood black. Kakuzu had ordered Hidan to find some water and bring it back, then to get a fire started immediately so that they could boil the water and get rid of any harmful bacteria. He'd gone and done that whilst Kakuzu used an antidote that Sasori had made for them to counter-act any poison, though it'd take twelve hours to reverse any affects. He'd then stitched her back up and when Hidan returned with the water and it was boiled from the fire he'd made, they'd waited for it to cool down, both moving along to the Valley of the End to find shelter, since the place was filled entirely of crevices and caves.

After they'd found a perfect place that was dry and big enough for all three of them, Kakuzu went to work on cleaning the wound with cold-but clean water, before wrapping her up in bandages, he'd made Hidan go find more firewood and told the albino male to report in to Leader of their progress and to get Zetsu out there to dispose of the bodies.

Yet it seemed they hadn't been quick enough. Of course the bodies were there, but no doubt someone had passed by the corpses during their delay and had reported it to the Hokage.

It explained the high surveillance they had surrounding this small town.

Hidan winced along with Shinko when the final bandage had been stripped from her, revealing the long gash that ran along her back, left-side and across more of her stomach, large stitches was holding her insides from spilling out, it looked mostly healed, though it was red raw and looked as if it were weeping a little. Kakuzu wasn't happy with this and gave Shinko some painkillers, before cleaning the wound once more and adding a salve to cool it and hopefully reduce the redness and stop the weeping. He'd stated that if it'd become infected then they'd have to return to the base regardless. With such a large wound becoming infected, Kakuzu knew she'd stand very little chance of surviving the rest of the week if they chose to ignore the warning signs.

"I'm sorry, Shinko, but you won't be able to go to the festival tonight. Not only do you need to rest to recover, but if you continue to aggravate it, then it may very well undo all of the hard work I've done to prevent it from becoming infected and trust me, if you value your life, you _won't_ go out tonight and rest." Kakuzu's face was very serious and his tone grim; he would have no protests.

Shinko's expression looked crushed, she'd been longing to go to the festival ever since she'd been made aware of it, she'd never been to one before and wanted to experience something new, something with her mate who'd been the one to ask her to go-almost like a date.

Something like _normal_ couples did every so often.

"It's for your own good. Besides, you won't be able to hide your limp _all night_, they'll notice something and be onto you in a flash," he looked away from her sad expression, he didn't need to feel guilty-he was saving her life. He straightened up, grabbing some fresh bandages; he placed them on her bedside table "I'll re-wrap your wound later when I return, for now, give it some air and don't move about too much."

Kakuzu turned away and walked towards the door, looking over at Hidan who'd remained silent and thoughtful the entire time, he stated "You can order room service and remember to change into your disguise when you answer the door. I won't be long." After transforming, he left the room and shut the door behind him.

The room remained silent and neither made a move; Shinko didn't care for her almost half-naked appearance and simply sat on the bed staring off into space, looking completely down-trodden. Hidan listened to the chatter and happy cries coming from outside where all the fun was taking place and continued to stare at Shinko's wound, feeling his hands tremble once more.

"Kakuzu's right; it's for the best. I shouldn't be so silly, there'll be other times, other festivals, besides, I'm going to see grandpa, I can't go there looking torn up and bloody, he'd flip-out...he always does..." she smiled fondly at the memories, in the past, no matter what injury she'd sustain, even if it were a paper cut, he'd be there in a flash to check her over and comfort her.

"Shinko...I'm sorry..."

She looked round and stared at him in confusion "Sorry? Whatever for? It's not _your_ fault I'm injured, _I _was the one to jump in front of you, nobody else. I _chose_ too."

Hidan shifted and looked down at his feet; his shoulders slumped as he frowned "It's...not so much that, I just...argh, fucking hell!" He growled in frustration and moved to sit on the bed opposite her, burying his head in his hands; his body tense.

Shinko stared at him with concerned eyes, Hidan looked increasingly frustrated, sure, he often got like that, but never to the point where he was speechless. Hidan always had something to say; no matter the situation.

"I just...all I seem to do is fuck everything up!" He lifted his head to glance up at her and felt a little guilt slam into him when he noticed how worried she looked for him; all _because_ of him.

"I cause so much shit, ever since we've gotten engaged, it's like one fucking thing after another!" His voice rose, his heart beating erratically as he became desperate "I almost _lost_ you out there-fuck! I can't go through that! I _won't_, not again!" He pressed his head back into his hands, hiding away the same haunted and pained look that'd frightened Shinko ever since she'd seen it that morning.

"I don't know what I'd _do_ if I lost you..." His voice sounded small and broken, a mere whisper over the happy shouts, music and cheers from outside in the streets. It stung her dead heart and suddenly, her wound felt numb, like the rest of her, it was her heart that was hurting now.

She forced herself up and stopped in front of him, pressing a hand through his hair and stroking it gently as she murmured his name softly; she continued to do so, until he eventually looked up at her with eyes shining with what looked to be unshed tears. Her hands went to cup his face as she smiled at him tenderly "You won't lose me, my love, I'm here right now, touching you, you can see me, hear me, feel me. I'm not going anywhere; I don't plan on going anywhere, not without you. We have eternity together, but Hidan...we already knew even before we left the base and got engaged that fate would throw anything and everything imaginable our way. We're being tested. You wish to do the right thing, I know you do and I will follow your decision because four days ago, you told me we will see my grandfather and get his permission. We _need_ his acceptance, it's only right and I don't care if we marry or not, just as long as I'm with _you_-_forever_ then I'm happy."

His hands came up to clasp hers tightly within his own as he pulled them away slightly and kissed the insides of her palms slowly, almost as if afraid she'd break.

"Fuck, Shinko...I don't bloody deserve you..." He stated.

She giggled softly "Don't be silly Hidan, I love you for who you are and sure, you may get on my last nerve at times, but that doesn't mean I love you any less and besides, I'm sure there are qualities about me you find irritating; it's natural. I don't care whether you were the poorest or the richest man on the earth; even if you're burned all over, covered in scars or even _blind_, I'd still love you and stay with you."

A smile crept across his lips "It almost sounds like you _want_ me to be a fucking invalid!"

"Mmmm," she purred "a crippled Hidan, oh yes, I could certainly take _advantage_ of you."

Hidan threw his head back and laughed "You can fucking take advantage of me whenever you want, babe!" He then sent a wink her way.

Shinko rolled her eyes, still wearing a smile which became a little strained "Err...Hidan, there's something I should tell you..."

"Huh, what is it?" He asked, all humour gone as he stared at her intently with concerned and guarded eyes, she sounded uncertain and that made him feel uneasy.

"Well...when a Vampire claims a mate, it means they _mark_ them..." she noticed the shocked look on his face and quickly continued on "n-not to _change_ them, though most of the time, their mates _choose_ to change, it's mostly just a harmless mark, it's proof of our bond."

Hidan's mouth felt dry "Y-you have to...suck my blood...right?"

Shinko looked increasingly anxious and gave a small nod "Y-yes, but not a lot, I won't drain you, in a way it's the Vampire way of marriage, once bonded, it's for eternity...u-unless you don't wish too? I understand if you'd rather wait..."

Hidan hesitated, feeling all at sea, he would love nothing more than to belong only to Shinko and for Shinko to only belong to him, it was what he'd been dreaming of since they'd gotten together as a couple, yet...there'd be _no_ point in this journey if they were to skip Tadashii's approval and go straight to the Vampire-ritual-marriage-thing...whatever the heck it was.

"I'd...rather wait Shinko, listen, it's not cos I don't fucking love you enough or am worried about you biting me, screw that shit, that sounds fucking _hot_, especially if _you're_ the one doing the biting. That fucking turns me on just thinking about it!" He noticed her rather stunned expression and cleared his throat, taking her hands in his "I want us to wait, baby, cos that's the whole reason we're going to see Tadashii-right?"

"Yes, I just wanted you to know that I'd be willing to mate with you permanently even if we don't get his approval." She replied passionately and it made him smirk.

"Let's just hope we don't _have_ to elope, eh?"

She smiled and bent down to give him another kiss; he met her half-way.

That night, they were able to forgive each other and move on from the problems that'd occurred over the last few days. Hidan ordered himself some food and sat with Shinko on the window seat watching the festival below, both content in each other's arms.

* * *

**A/N: HOLY SHIT! 14 pages long! O_o Well, I guess this is my way of making it up to you all for taking so goddamn LONG. So yeah, I've still got some chapters to go before I'm finished with this thing, however, I've started a new story; 'Just Purrfect!' It's based on the Akatsuki and stuff, so if you like humour and drama, that story is for you XD I don't know when I'll next update, but I hope not to keep you all waiting so long next time D:**

**MANY THANKS TO; 'Miko Hayashi' and 'xXLoveXxXIsXxXDeadlyXx' for your awesome reviews! :D**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	32. Week One: Days 6 and 7

**A/N: I was hoping to have posted this up last week, but once again, things came up in the real world, plus it's snowed twice in the last week here in England, so I've been freezing my arse off, lol. Hopefully, this chapter makes up for the disappointment, still, I've got about HALF of the ending written out, so after the travelling TO Demon country, the chapters will be posted up more frequently *starts praying* Anywho, go ahead and read! :D **

**MANY THANKS TO; 'xXLoveXxXIsXxXDeadlyXx' for reviewing! I'm so pleased you're still reading this thing :D**

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**Summary:**Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense. In other words; shinobi at the level of Genin and Chuunin wouldn't be able to kill S-class criminals *glares at Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto in the Manga book* and I would also make it shorter, over 500 chapters is fucking ridiculous!

**Part Thirty-Two: Week One: Days 6 and 7**

The morning started off chilly, the sky was clouded over in darkness; there would be no sunshine today. The winds had picked up early hours of the morning, making sleep for Shinko virtually impossible as her sensitive ears picked up each howl the storm produced.

The winds died down by seven o'clock, giving her the perfect opportunity to catch another hour's sleep.

Kakuzu was up first, he paid little attention to Shinko's huddled form, twitching at every sound made outside by the weather and although being used to Hidan's mild snoring, he couldn't help but frown at him. Still, at least his snoring wasn't as loud as it usually is when he's had a few alcoholic beverages.

Kakuzu went to the bathroom and took a lukewarm shower, knowing better than to use all the hot water. He quickly re-dressed in a spare set of clothes, before drying his hair off with a towel he packed with him. He also took out some soap, stepping away from the shower cubicle, he stopped before the bath tub and began to fill it with lukewarm water, he then placed his dirty clothes in the water and began to wash them. It didn't take long, since he only had dirt and a few small specs of blood to wash out, he emptied the bath tub of it's now light brown water before wringing them out as dry as he could get them.

He re-entered the room, hardly paying attention as Shinko now stirred from her sleep, she slowly sat up and stretched as best as she could whilst still feeling a little sore. Kakuzu stalked over to his bag which laid upon his bed, rummaging through it he pulled out a hair dryer. From the corner of his eye, Shinko entered the bathroom and after closing the door behind her, she locked it.

Once he'd plugged the hair dryer in a spare socket, he proceeded to turn it on full-power and began to dry his now damp washing. This of course, didn't come without its disadvantages.

Hidan shifted and groaned loudly, an arm crossed over his eyes and a frown tugged at his lips, still Kakuzu paid no heed.

In short, the morning was spent with each of them taking it in turns to use the bathroom, wash and dry their clothes. Shinko even used the hair dryer to rough dry her hair since she had no natural body heat to use to warm her up.

Kakuzu and Shinko had to wait for Hidan, not only was he finicky about his hair and washing, but he hated being rushed and this made the Kakuzu's blood boil.

Conflict was successfully avoided as they all re-packed; Kakuzu once again took out the map and pointed a route they'd be trekking to get to Port city before sealing it away. They took on their transformations once more and left their hotel room, they headed down to the breakfast area. As seeming as the breakfast was included, Kakuzu was determined to make the most of his money.

There were many families downstairs in the breakfast room, completely oblivious to their presence; even the many ANBU that were _still_ stationed in the town remained ignorant.

Breakfast had been a quiet event for the trio. Kakuzu and Hidan naturally piled their plates high, determined to have a decent meal, whereas Shinko remained uncomfortable and almost unhappy. She'd managed to force herself to eat through two slices of toast and a bowl of cereal as well as a glass of orange juice, though she'd heaved quite a few times. Her companions remained ever watchful and internally winced every time she gagged, her expression was one of pure misery. However, the two males kept a close eye on the ANBU that sat a few tables away from theirs; they also were having breakfast and still seemed completely unconcerned. In fact, they were all laughing and talking as if they weren't on such high alert.

No doubt it was an act, a sneaky way to delude the trio into thinking that the Konoha ninja were oblivious to the world around them; a purely genius plan into getting them to lower their guards. However, Kakuzu spared a glance at his companions and noticed that they were both highly aware of what the ANBU were up too.

It was very clever, but not clever enough to fool them.

Upon leaving the hotel, Hidan quickly shifted into the ever-loving husband role that'd been set out for him, though it was easy on his part, he didn't need to pretend he cared for Shinko, the only difficulty for him was being so _nice_ and _caring _in public. Honestly, it made him sick to his stomach, but he went along with so that their cover wasn't blown.

However, their luck didn't last as a couple of ANBU-one of them sounded female approached them-or rather Shinko and spoke to her. Kakuzu could see Hidan's knuckles turning white as he gripped Shinko's right hand in a death grip, yet the Dhampir remained stoic and calm.

"We noticed you struggling with your breakfast, is everything alright?" It was definitely a female ANBU, her chest having been covered completely by protective gear made it rather difficult to tell the difference. Though focusing more on her physical form, it was now easy to discern her rather shapely figure, compared to that of her male companion, who stood by her side not saying a word.

The concern in the female ANBU's voice made Shinko growl internally, but on the surface, she gave a soft smile at the two ANBU and replied "Oh, yes, everything is alright," placing her free hand upon her lower stomach, she continued "It's morning sickness, honestly, I can't stand the smell of coffee without feeling nauseas."

Hidan's eyes almost bugged out, but he closed them and gave a strained smile as he commented "Yeah, she's been suffering with a little sickness for a couple of weeks."

Kakuzu wished the albino male in disguise had kept his mouth shut, the ANBU were highly suspicious, clearly they wouldn't have approached them otherwise, they obviously knew of Shinko's wound which she'd received two days ago and that she survived solely on blood, if they joined the dots together, then they're screwed _big-time_.

The male ANBU shifted almost uncomfortably and the female ANBU cleared her throat as she spoke again "Ah, I see, my sister suffered the same when she was pregnant, well, all I can say is, if it gets any worse, then you should see a doctor immediately, also, I wouldn't do too much travelling; you could risk your health."

Shinko nodded and muttered a small 'thank you', whilst Hidan's grip loosened and he replied "I'll be keeping an eye on her."

The ANBU left and returned to the hotel.

Kakuzu, Hidan and Shinko left the town slowly, taking their time to leave so that they didn't seem suspicious; they'd even endured talking about babies and names as they left the town to throw off their scent.

After a few miles, Shinko sensed that they weren't being followed and they immediately dropped their disguises.

Hidan began to complain to Kakuzu about the entire stay and the extremely uncomfortable conversation about babies on the way out, Kakuzu simply replied "Well, I don't know why you're moaning to _me_ about it, I'm not the one that got Shinko knocked up."

Oh boy, did he throw a hissy fit afterwards, it seemed he'd just exploded and was letting out his rage on the older man, whom in return, just shrugged it off, being completely used to it, he didn't even reply to most of what the albino male was spouting out anyway.

Shinko remained quiet and walked a little behind, her thoughts reverting to the night before, when Kakuzu had returned from gathering supplies, he'd wrapped the bandages around her mid-section just as he said he would before he pulled out a packet of blood from his pocket.

He never said where he'd gotten it from and she hadn't bothered asking, in the end, she'd been starved and although the packet of blood was not nearly enough to completely fill her, it had taken the edge off of her hunger and she wouldn't need to worry about food for a day or two. Though she kept it in mind to hunt before they boarded the ship, otherwise she'd starve.

But thanks to the small helping of blood, her wound was healing much faster and she'd even lost the limp she'd had the day before, however, she still had to be careful, her wound wasn't fully healed, that would take two or three more days, depending on whether she would be able to find a meal.

Shinko's thoughts were cut off as Hidan began whining at her to tell Kakuzu to stop being such a 'cold-hearted bastard', Shinko merely smiled and shook her head in amusement, Hidan continued to whine almost pitifully, though she knew he was just doing it because he was trying to gain attention, he was never one for silence.

The rest of the day was spent walking back to the borders of the Fire country and from there, they strolled along, keeping their guard-up just in case and stuck to the forest for cover. They didn't stop once that day until evening had fallen and Kakuzu surprised his two companions when he stated that they should be at Port city by noon the next day. The news had been met with such relief that they camped out in the forest that night.

Shinko went off to hunt for blood, although she wasn't thrilled that she'd have to stick to animal blood, her excitement overcame that and she found herself smiling and jumping with more of a spring in her step.

Hidan and Kakuzu remained at camp, allowing the Dhampir to bring them something back whilst they set up a tent and built a fire.

Shinko returned with a dead deer, she merely flicked her wrist and it flew across the small clearing they'd settled in and it landed at their feet carelessly. Shinko was licking away the blood from her lips which signalled that she'd previously drained the deer of its blood.

Shinko kept watch up in one of the tall trees of the forest, staring off into the darkness, but knew there were no Ninja about, Kakuzu and Hidan on the ground below skinned the deer, cooked it and ate it in reasonable silence save for Hidan's almost barbaric way off ripping the meat off of the bone with his teeth and chewing noisily.

They all decided to have an early night so that they could set off earlier the next morning, neither of them argued at this point since their tired feet all screamed to rest and take the weight off of them for some hours.

Kakuzu took first watch as Shinko and Hidan entered the one tent, both stripped off their coats and shoes before snuggling together in one sleeping bag.

"Hey Shinko..." Hidan murmured, keeping his voice down so that they won't be overheard.

She made a sound in the back of her throat to signal he had her attention.

"...It's nothing, don't worry. I love you."

Shinko wasn't sure what to think, he was keeping something from her, but she figured it wasn't too important or he would've spoken up about it, instead, she pushed it to the back of her mind. He'd talk to her when he was good and ready.

She leaned up and gave him a soft kiss upon his lips before nuzzling her head under his chin and murmured "Love you too. Na-night."

For the rest of the night they each took turns in keeping watch, though nothing of importance happened.

The next morning, they re-packed their belongings, disposed of the carcass left over from the deer and tidied up the campsite so that if anyone were to pass by then their presence would remain undetected; even to the trained eye.

They took to walking again, Hidan and Kakuzu nibbled on a cereal bar each for breakfast, once again, the weather remained uncertain. It was still cloudy, though the wind had died down, Shinko could smell another storm on the air. It seemed that they might not be as lucky to get a boat to take them across the sea for a couple of days if luck wasn't on their side.

"Ugh, I'm so fucking bored!" Hidan whined loudly.

"If we keep walking then we should reach the city by early afternoon." Kakuzu replied from ahead of them, though he didn't seem too pleased to have to repeat himself.

"It's unlikely we'll get a boat tonight, I can smell another storm on the way." Shinko stated calmly from beside Hidan, her eyes shifting towards the grim-looking clouds.

Kakuzu merely grunted in agreement, whilst Hidan pulled a face "This bullshit sucks, so what? We're gonna have to _wait_ the storm out? How bloody long will it take?"

Shinko glanced at him from the corners of her eyes and realised he was looking to _her_ for the answer, she merely shrugged and murmured "I'm not sure, if we're lucky it'll only last through the night, if not..."

She didn't need to answer and frowned when she heard Hidan give a heavy, irritated sigh.

"Cheer up, love, we're almost half-way there, just think, once we arrive you can get a hot meal." This did cheer him up; his frustrated expression became one of acceptance, she sent him a small smile in hopes of bribing him to be a little happy that they'd come so far and still on schedule despite their draw-backs.

He caught her smile and merely threaded his fingers through her own.

The rest of the morning was spent walking as they had done since the beginning of the trip.

By lunchtime, the winds had started to pick up once more, which made Kakuzu anxious, he wished to get to Port city before the storm hit, although they were in a forest, the only thing that they had for shelter was their tents and with the storm heading their way it'd make it near impossible to keep the tent upright and listening out for enemies would become a hassle.

However, they did stop for a break once, Shinko went off to search for some fruit for them, the journey seemed to be taking its toll on the men. Usually, they hadn't needed to keep up such a quick pace, of course they're used to travelling, but certainly not within a time-frame.

Within ten minutes Shinko returned to them and passed the fruit, the men ate quietly as the Dhampir went off to hunt for some small animal to drain, knowing it'd be the last meal she'd have before arriving at Tadashii's home.

Naturally, she could go without food up to a month if she were in dire circumstances, but that'd be without using her abilities. Shinko made it a point not to leave it anymore than a fortnight at most before feeding; she couldn't afford to lose her control again. Usually, she'd never feed so much, but since she'd lost a considerable amount of blood from her deep wound, she'd had to compensate for the few pints she'd lost.

She returned once more after twenty minutes of hunting and successfully draining a badger she'd found wandering through the shrubs. Kakuzu and Hidan were already stood up and stretching, neither mentioned anything about her holding them up, so she assumed that she'd arrived back on time.

Four hours flew-by and then they'd finally arrived at Port city.

The forest had steadily become thinner within the last mile, so even from that mile away; they'd been able to spot the ocean. Shinko even commented that she could smell the sea salt from that far away, then again, the winds were becoming a nuisance and they were coming their way so all scents from the docks were carried on the wind towards them.

Hidan perked up at the sight, he all-but dragged his fiancé there and even Kakuzu was surprised to find himself trying to keep up with them.

Port city itself was built upon the edge of the sea, most-if not all the buildings were made out of a strong timbre to withstand the harsh storms the sea had to throw at them. The docks held many ships and boats of different designs and sizes. There was also a beach next door to the city, but was rarely used in the winter due to the cold temperatures and brutal changes in the weather.

This was the ideal spot for fishermen and the like whose careers remained solely dependent on the ocean.

Kakuzu had noticed that there were no ANBU stationed here and if there were, they were concealing their identities; this made him rather nervous. They were so close now, they couldn't risk being spotted and be attacked.

"Hidan, Shinko, use your disguises," Kakuzu ordered as he stopped behind them still remaining within the last remnants of the forest to keep out of sight.

Hidan halted and turned to face his work partner with a heated glare "Why the fuck should we, huh?"

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed this time, it seemed his patience was finally wearing thin "Because ANBU will be patrolling this area; they must've caught on that we wouldn't be in this area if we were either going to Port city or going further afield. It seems they're being extra-careful about this."

Hidan looked put out, his face fell into an angered frown, not at liking the idea of having to pretend to be someone else in public; it's not that he wasn't capable or good enough, it just irritated him, he had to hold his tongue so he didn't curse the air blue as he usually does so that his identity won't be discovered. It was more of a pain than anything else.

"I also won't be able to sense them if they're concealing themselves; meaning they're no doubt lowering their chakra and smelling them out will be near impossible with all this salt in the air." Shinko wrinkled her nose in distaste, what had once been intriguing to her many years ago when she'd returned from Demon country with Kakuzu and Hidan was more horrid. Even back then her nose had burned with the scent of salt and fish; it'd made her feel a little ill.

She certainly wasn't looking forward to sailing, if anything, her sense of smell had increased and more refined.

"Then it's settled, we'll disguise ourselves at least until we're safely on the boat." Kakuzu stated as he did the familiar hand signs and transformed before their eyes into the same disguise he'd used back in the small town the day before.

"Oi, oi, are you _sure_ we should change back into _those_?" Hidan snapped, raising an eyebrow almost incredulously.

"I agree, isn't it rather...odd? Surely they'll notice something?" Shinko piped in by Hidan's side.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes "That's what they'll be expecting, if they have ANBU stationed here as well, then they'll be looking out for a group of _three_, two males and a female, now if _another_ random group of three strangers came in from _nowhere_ where none of the other ANBU who've no doubt been stationed all over the country and haven't seen them, then they'll be more than suspicious."

"But wouldn't they be more suspicious if we continued the same disguise?" Shinko asked, confusion and slight worry etching at her expression. Sure she trusted Kakuzu's ideas, but she didn't know if this one was going to work in their favour.

"Just do it!" He snarled, leaving no more room for argument.

**/*\*/*\**

They'd soon after entered the port, walking amidst a flurry of strangers that were too preoccupied with securing their boats and their goods to even notice them passing.

Kakuzu had explained after they'd transformed and before they'd entered the city that there was a man that dwelled there who owed him a few favours, his name was; Arata, Kakuzu didn't reveal a last name. But apparently, Arata is not only a captain of his own ship, but he was also well-versed in the on-goings of the black market. It seemed to Hidan and Shinko that this Arata-man was probably one of the closest things Kakuzu had to an old friend, even more so since Kakuzu frequently did dealings in the black market.

The city folk here were all dressed in many layers of clothing, it seemed that they were used to the weather conditions here and didn't bother to care what they looked like so long as they were warm and dry.

Kakuzu took them to one of the end piers where there was a large wooden building that looked similar to a warehouse, however this one looked more cared for.

They stopped outside the large steel doors, Kakuzu gave a few heavy knocks and a plaque swung open in the door, revealing a pair of dark eyes staring out at them.

"What do you want?" The raspy voice hissed.

"I'm here to see Arata, our business is our own." Kakuzu replied sternly, a warning glare hardened his features.

However, the man on the other side of the door didn't look at all daunted "Well sorry, mate, but I can't let you in unless you tell me your business."

Kakuzu's fist clenched as he snarled "I'm coming in there whether you like it or not."

The plaque slammed shut almost making them jump, a few bolts were heard turning from the inside and then the door slide open to reveal a rather small, middle-aged man with a wiry white beard, he was gestured with his head for them to enter and they did so with haste.

As soon as the door was shut and locked, the lights from above revealed them to be in a waiting room of sorts.

Kakuzu shifted out of his disguise almost immediately, he gave a single nod at Shinko and Hidan to let them know it was safe and they followed suit.

The man's eyes widened a little as he bowed hastily "Ah, welcome Mr Kakuzu; it's a pleasure to see you here. I'm sorry for my abruptness, you see it's been reported that Konoha Ninja of ANBU rank have been seen patrolling the entire Fire country and of course, I know for certain that some are already here."

"Yes, that's no surprise, they're looking for us," Kakuzu didn't seem to worry so much about telling the man about their situation, but he did give a hard glare at the short man and growled "I trust you'll keep quiet about us?"

The man straightened and quickly nodded his head in agreement.

"I wouldn't dream of it, sir."

Kakuzu seemed satisfied with this and walked ahead, stopping before a large oak door next to the only sofa in the room "Where is Arata? I must speak with him immediately."

The small man shifted on his feet as he replied "I've sent for him, sir, he'll be with you shortly."

Kakuzu was finally appeased and took to walking across the room to study a large painting on the wall of flowering fields within the Leaf village's walls.

Hidan and Shinko remained stood, shifting a little uncomfortably as the small man took his seat by the door, lifting up a newspaper that was laid upon the desk next to his chair; he began to read, leaving a heavy silence hanging over their heads.

Twenty minutes went by and Hidan was about to explode from irritation until the oak door opened to reveal another middle-aged man, except this one was extremely good looking, his was dressed in a button-up white shirt and navy jeans, his glasses gleamed in the lights and he had a smile on his face as he held a hand out to Kakuzu "Ah, my old friend! How nice it is to see you again!"

Hidan looked positively horrified at how this _Arata_ was so willing to be close to Kakuzu and that the miser in-turn greeted him with similar pleasantries that bordered upon warm.

They shook hands and Arata stepped back to give him some room, he seemed to understand that Kakuzu didn't like other's invading his personal space unnecessarily.

"What can I do for you, my friend?"

"I would actually like to speak with you privately." Kakuzu replied sparing a glance at the small man sat by the door.

Arata noticed this and smiled in understanding "No problem, oh, but I am rude, who are these friends of yours Kakuzu?"

Arata's shocking blue eyes glanced over Hidan and then locked onto Shinko, sending a cold shiver to skitter down her spine. She felt Hidan tense beside her and their hands immediately sought each other's out for comfort and reassurance.

She didn't need to look up to see the seething glare that Hidan was sending at the older man.

Kakuzu gave a sigh and gestured to them "That is Hidan and Shinko, they are my..._companions_ and they are also engaged to each other."

It seemed the miser had noticed how Arata was staring appreciatively at Shinko and found himself wanting to get the man to leave the room before Hidan started a fight.

"I see, I'm Arata, welcome, please...make yourselves at home, if you want a drink or something to eat, I'd be more than happy to have my chef cook you something, you only need to ask," he turned from the young couple and met Kakuzu's vibrant green as eyes "come with me, it seems we have much to discuss."

Kakuzu followed Arata out of the room and left his companions behind.

The silence was almost unbearable and they soon claimed the sofa, feeling almost ecstatic at its soft cushions, there were a few magazines and puzzle books left on the coffee table before them, Shinko picked up a Sudoku puzzle book out of interest. She hadn't done one of these puzzles in years.

Hidan picked up a similar book and handed her a pen he'd found located in a stationary pot closer to him.

For the next hour they both went through the books and completed many puzzles, eventually, Shinko grew tired, barely suppressing a yawn, she almost jumped up for joy when Kakuzu returned, immediately catching their attentions "With circumstances as they are, we'll be staying here with Arata for the night, he believes the storm will be over by morning so we shall set sail then."

Hidan and Shinko both sighed heavily in relief before looking at each other and grinning widely.

It seemed they didn't have long to go before they'd see Tadashii once more and they were both excited.

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**A/N: Wow, almost 10 pages long! Btw, I didn't plan to add in Arata, but I couldn't just have them going to ANYONE, especially if they're gonna reveal their true selves upon boarding the ship. So I decided to just add the side-character in just to prevent confusion XD**

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	33. Week Two: Days 1 to 4

**A/N: I recently read the new chapter in the Naruto Manga (chapter 574) and I have to say it; WHAT THE HELL Masashi Kishimoto? You used MY story title for YOUR chapter title? I WOULD'VE found that completely awesome if it didn't mostly focus on KARIN! Talk about a total insult! D: **

**MANY THANKS TO; 'xXLoveXxXIsXxXDeadlyXx' and 'Kaity' for reviewing! I'm so glad you're both still interested in this story, it really makes me happy reading your reviews :D**

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**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER(wtf, this should've been done AGES ago!): **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story, I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, Arata, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense.

**Part Thirty-Three: Week Two: Days 1-4**

That night the trio stayed with Arata.

He'd been surprisingly warm and welcoming to them, providing them with excellent food, entertainment in the way of music and card games, he was a vast well of information and had plenty to say. In fact, one could say he was just an average man living _the life_ that everyone dreamed they could have.

He'd even mentioned briefly that he and Kakuzu had met many, many years ago when Arata had been a teenager and Kakuzu still looked relatively the same as he does today except with a few extra scars and stitches. He never did say _how_ they met or for what purpose, but it seemed to them that it hadn't been anything too happy. Arata seemed to hold Kakuzu in such a high regard and gave him much respect, Hidan was disgusted by his work partner getting such lavish treatment, but Shinko found it rather endearing.

It was nice that Kakuzu had such a friend; it meant that at least he wasn't completely alone in the world.

Later that night, they were shown to their rooms, Hidan had insisted that he shared with Shinko, still seeming not to trust Arata, though the man tried effortlessly to reassure him that everyone was safe here. Kakuzu would be staying in the room across the hall from them, he'd bid them goodnight then and stated that he had some business to attend too and should they need anything, just pull on the cord hanging above the bedside tables and then he was gone.

Kakuzu went into his room silently whilst Hidan stormed in after the man; Shinko followed them quickly and closed the door softly behind her, concerned that whatever Hidan had to say it would involve Arata in some form.

"How the fuck did you meet that guy, huh? He's weird as hell!" Hidan exploded though had the sense to glance over his shoulder to make sure the door was closed.

"It's not really my story to tell, Hidan. Drop it." Kakuzu murmured as he placed his bag upon the large double-bed.

"The fuck it isn't! _You_ were there as well, old man, c'mon! Tell us, we won't bloody say anything to anyone else if you're _that_ worried!"

Kakuzu kept his back to them and didn't reply, merely unzipping his bag and taking out his toothbrush.

However, Hidan couldn't take a hint and actually stalked up to Kakuzu and placed a firm hand on his shoulder intending to _make_ the older man face him, but instead his touch sent Kakuzu into violent action. He grabbed Hidan's hand and twisted his arm around his back, a pained howl escaped Hidan's throat as he felt his arm almost pop out of its socket. Shinko reacted instantly and was beside them in an instant, her hand gripped Kakuzu's jaw tightly and she proceeded to lift him up and away from Hidan.

"Let him go or I'll crush your jaw." She hissed coldly, her eyes shining brightly, Kakuzu seemed to take the hint and dropped Hidan unceremoniously to the floor, his eyes narrowed on Shinko as he glared wordlessly.

She moved away from him then as Hidan stood up and began muttering curses to under his breath as he rubbed his sore arm and shoulder.

"If you don't want to tell us, then fine, but don't take it out on us we were only curious." Shinko stated as she moved to the door before looking at Hidan "it's best we get some sleep."

Hidan was about to open his mouth and say something until he was cut off by Kakuzu.

"I met Arata many years ago, that's true. But not in happy circumstances," Kakuzu sighed and glanced out of his window to watch the rain hit the glass with mild interest.

"In fact, it was before I'd joined the Akatsuki, I was passing through the Water country and found Arata not more than fourteen years of age being gang-raped by men," he paused as if remembering what had happened next and a dark look crossed his expression, meanwhile Hidan and Shinko were too shocked to utter a word.

"Naturally I couldn't pass by and _not_ do anything, so I stepped in and saved him, I killed the men, but Arata was in such shock that I had no choice but to take him with me. He stayed with me until he was sixteen, by that time he'd recovered though he was still rather scared of the world. We parted ways on the borders of Lightning country, he went on to travel the world, we bumped into each other a few times over the years and told me that if I ever needed anything that I could go to him. It seems he believes that he has a huge debt to pay off to me, though I didn't disregard it, he seemed to genuinely want to help me."

He blinked and then went to lean against the bed post as if years of hardship were finally weighing him down.

"I was surprised to hear that Arata got married and had a couple of kids, but his wife and son drowned out in the sea, he raised his daughter alone and from what I hear, she's happily married herself. To this day he's always loved fishing and sailing; it's been his dream ever since he was young."

Kakuzu looked at his companions then, noticing the shocked look on Hidan's face and the thoughtful look upon Shinko's, his curiosity peeked when he noticed a small smile cross her lips.

"It seems that you're not completely evil after all, what you did for him...it was the right thing and he knows that. That's why he respects you-"

"I'd call it being a bitch-!" Shinko smacked Hidan on the back of his head whilst wearing a frown, ignoring the shout he gave as he turned and glared at her with betrayal burning in his magenta eyes. Shinko didn't seem to care.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes and told them to leave his room so that he could sleep, but made them swear that they wouldn't make it known about Arata's history and they agreed.

That night, Hidan had been unusually thoughtful and Shinko had a good idea that he was starting to see Kakuzu in a new light. Of course they wouldn't become instant friends; it just meant that maybe Hidan might start to respect their elder companion a little.

The next morning they'd all gotten up a little later than expected and quickly got themselves ready to leave, Arata had a lovely spread of breakfast out for them, though Shinko remained rather depressed that she couldn't stomach any of the delicacies whilst having to watch Hidan, Kakuzu and Arata stuff themselves silly.

However, Arata surprised even her when after being told she's a Dhampir and relied solely upon drinking blood that he had a couple of bags of blood he kept in a medical centre in his basement should she want any.

Naturally, she'd accepted the offer, though Hidan hadn't been too thrilled by this, mumbling something about how he 'should be providing for his mate'.

After breakfast, Arata took them to them to the ship they'd be sailing in; whilst they were wearing disguises of course. It was impressive, very well-crafted though not as large as some of the others that were waiting at the docks.

He introduced some of his shipmates, all trusted men that'd been in his service for at least ten years or more and then they boarded the ship and set sail.

For the most part, it was an odd experience for Shinko, this had only been the second time in her life that she'd been on a ship and although the mild rocking of the ship made little difference to her, the strong smell of salt from the sea made her head fuzzy.

As soon as they were shown to their rooms, she went and laid down upon the bed, closing her eyes she buried her nose in the pillow.

Hidan who had once again insisted on sharing a room with her looked rather amused by this, though when she'd glanced at him she could detect the small hint of concern hidden there as well.

"Don't tell me you're sea-sick?" He chortled loudly.

Shinko gave a heavy sigh "No, I'm not, it's just the salt is making my head fuzzy."

He frowned then and sniffed the air, finding that although he could smell a little of the ocean, though it seemed to be overpowered by the fragrance of jasmine no doubt from some incense sticks that'd been lit upon their arrival the day before.

He moved to the other side of the bed and leaning over her, he placed a hand upon her head and stroked his fingers through her white strands "Does it hurt?"

"No, I just feel...dizzy."

Hidan settled upon the bed behind her, continuing to stroke her head softly, almost as if he was worried about her health, though she didn't question him, she knew he got embarrassed easily when forced to acknowledge emotions that he weren't used to showing.

They spent much of the day just laid together, Hidan occasionally brought up a topic for them to discuss though it didn't last long. Eventually, he fell asleep whilst Shinko remained awake, unable to sleep due to the unbearable scent of salt.

She could stop breathing, but that was only to ever use in dire situations and it actually burned her lungs to do so.

A little while later, one of the crew members informed them that dinner was almost ready. Hidan was more than eager to eat some of Arata's gourmet food; he was almost drooling all over the wooden floors!

"Are you coming babe?" Hidan tip-toed towards Shinko's still form upon the bed.

"No, I'll stay here, you carry on, I'll see you later," Hidan winced at her hoarse voice which sounded rather strained and he couldn't help but be concerned as he moved round the bed and kneeled before her, pressing a hand to her cold and rather sickly white cheek. She didn't look too good.

"Are you still not well?"

Shinko gave a pained groan and nodded.

Hidan hesitated; he bit his lip, feeling rather torn. He ought to stay and look after her, she clearly wasn't feeling at all well, her usual pale skin had a sickly grey hue to it that made him worry if she was going to throw-up in any moment. Though what a half-vampire that relied solely on a diet of blood could throw up was a mystery to him.

He cringed inwardly at the thought of her throwing up blood, whether it was hers or not was regardless and the smell would alert unwanted attention from the crew members.

Shinko seemed to realise his hesitation and turned her face to kiss the inside of his palm, before giving him a weak smile "I'll be fine, you go and eat! I'll be here when you get back."

His worries lessened at that, maybe he was just overreacting, she could handle herself for a couple of hours alone. She's not a child.

However, the ever consistent nagging in the back of his mind wouldn't settle and he couldn't help but still be slightly concerned.

"Y'know I fucking love you, right?" Hidan murmured almost desperately and waited eagerly for her reply.

Shinko gave a small chuckle "I know you do, baby, and I love you too, but if you don't get your arse outta here in the next five minutes there might not be any food left for you."

He smirked at that "Huh! Unless they want their shitless souls to be sacrificed to Lord Jashin then they better save me some!" He gave her a peck on the lips before jumping to his feet and striding out of the room. He called a farewell to her and shut the door gently behind him.

Incidentally, Hidan was gone for _four_ hours and during that time, Shinko had thrown-up blood twice, before her stomach finally settled. She then went for a shower, hoping that with the soaps that she'd brought with her would cancel out the strong scent of salt.

Luckily, it did the job...for about an hour.

By this time, Shinko was dressed in some scraggy pyjamas and was on the bed once more feeling dizzy once again. However, having taking her bandages off so that she could shower, she was delighted to find that her wound had almost healed completely, all that was left was a long visible white line that ran across her stomach and back which had started from her left-side.

At one point during the evening, she'd picked up an old book from one of the shelves to try and focus her mind on other things. It worked for roughly half an hour, the salt still made her feel dizzy, keeping her eyes open was now a strain and with the slightly rough swaying of the ship, her stomach began to protest once more.

She put the book away and went into the bathroom to grab a flannel, dampening it; she went back towards the bed, hoping to use the flannel to place over her face. Dizziness became an issue along with the ship swaying as she crashed into the doorframe of the en-suite bathroom.

Shinko groaned loudly from pain and annoyance, sitting up to lean against the wall, rubbing her head before leaning it back against the wall behind her. It'd probably bruise and it may not disappear before Hidan returned.

Shinko closed her eyes, the familiar burning sensation behind her eyes warned her not to open them and allow the tears to fall.

She was feeling miserable and sick. The last few days had been pure hell. She'd been almost sliced in half, she weren't able to visit a festival on a date with her mate, trekking along the Fire country had been a nightmare with her wound, both of her companions-she noticed were keeping an eye on her _just in case_, she was also extremely nervous about meeting her grandfather after all this time apart and what she would say to him. Yet all the while, all she could think of was how worried she'd made Hidan over the last few days.

He'd been the perfect man and stayed close to her side, remaining ever watchful and vigilant, he was genuinely anxious for her health, so much so, that she was worried he'd become ill again.

It was something she'd been meaning to ask about; surely Jashin would've prevented his ill-health? Then how was it possible?

She didn't know whether it'd be an insult to ask, he could easily misinterpret her meaning and think she was insinuating that his God didn't exist after all. Though that was beside the point.

She rubbed her sore forehead and sighed heavily, burying her head into her arms that were wrapped around her knees, she closed her eyes and decided to not bother asking for a few more days, she knew how testy Hidan often became and the last thing she wanted was to be trapped on a boat with an unhappy and uncooperative mate that refused to even look at her.

She eventually crawled back into bed and prayed to whatever God was out there that she would get at least a few hours sleep, though with each passing hour, it was starting to become less likely.

At some point during the night, Hidan returned to their room, but he was rather drunk, in a way, Shinko was glad, the smell of alcohol wasn't very appealing, but she could handle that rather than the salty scent of the sea.

Hidan grumbled and stumbled into the room before collapsing upon the bed, in the dark, she could see that his face was flushed, his hair a little messy, it made him look all the more appealing to her that she forgot about the possibility of being mad with him.

Instead, she crawled over him and took his zori off, chucking them on the floor; she then pulled him upwards so that he was leaning over her as she took his cloak off. She didn't bother with his trousers and decided that he'd be alright so long as he didn't puke in the night.

She went to climb off of him until his arms wrapped encircled her and trapped her to his chest; she didn't even need to press her ear against his naked breast to hear the rushing beating of his heart.

"Mmm...Shinko?"

She made a half-hearted effort to lift her head up and look at him "Yes, I'm here."

"Good, stay...don't leave me..." His voice came out choked and slightly broken.

Alarmed, she lifted herself up a little to look down at him and was appalled to see small tears falling down his cheeks; quickly she used her hand to wipe them away. She knew it was the alcohol playing with his mind, no doubt causing his emotions to go erratic, but it still didn't ease the worry in her.

Hidan never cried...not even when she'd _died_ three times in the past had he'd shed a single tear for her, but she knew that it wasn't because he didn't care. In fact, it was the total opposite, he cared for her so much that he just _couldn't_ force himself to cry; it'd hurt too much.

"Don't cry, love, I'm not going to leave you. I won't ever leave you." She cooed gently, hoping to soothe him.

His eyes opened with a frantic look gazing at her through the darkness of the night, his hands clasped her arms tightly; desperately.

"You died, I saw it, I fucking _saw_ it and I couldn't do anything! You disappeared, the monster...the monster killed you...gone, you were gone!" His voice turned into a shout at the end, his eyes darting everywhere all at once to search for whatever it was that his mind was envisioning.

Panicked and confused, she grabbed his face between her hands, forcing him to meet her bright gaze "I'm _not_ dead, I'm right here, looking at you, you can see me, hear me...touch me..."

Tears overflowed his eyes and he smiled almost happily in relief, pain flared through her chest at how broken he appeared. It unnerved her, that look she'd seen in his eyes again, the dead, faraway gaze that made him look empty.

She pulled him to her as he whispered her name over and over, proclaiming his love to her amidst his drunken babble. She paid no heed to it and merely stroked his hair as his face pressed further into her chest, his arms clenched tightly around her and she knew he wouldn't be letting her go anytime soon.

But she didn't mind in the slightest.

**/*\*/*\**

For the second and third day, Hidan remained a little distant with Shinko, he seemed to be embarrassed over something and looked as though he had something pressing on his mind that he wished to tell her, but lost all courage to so much as get a word out as soon as she focused her attention on him.

It confused her a little, all the mixed messages she was receiving, he seemed to shift away from her touch and always appeared uncomfortable in her presence, in fact, he took every precaution to make sure he wasn't near her or at least _alone_ with her.

Shinko felt a little hurt and she desperately fought to understand _why_ her mate who loved her so would reject her blatantly.

Meanwhile now on the fourth day, she was still feeling ill; she managed to hide it from Hidan so well now that he no longer asked about her health, though he did comment that she had dark circles under her eyes. She played it off as nothing, saying that she liked to meditate rather than sleep-which was a big fat lie, but he hadn't bothered to ask further.

Her puking began to irritate her, she was damned lucky that Hidan wasn't around to see her bringing up blood and she knew it was only a matter of time. She needed to seek someone out for medical help, it was urgent-this she knew.

Naturally, she would've gone to Kakuzu, he had a better knowledge of medicine than both Hidan and her put together, but since Hidan was constantly hanging around Kakuzu or one of the crew members, she decided it'd be best to look elsewhere.

She finally found Arata sat alone, reading over some paperwork and quickly inquired if there was anything he had to settle a sick stomach, he took her to the only medical room of the ship and gave her some pills, he didn't say what they were but that she'd only need one to make it work and that they'd make her quite drowsy, so she should only take them when alone in her room. He also stated that they worked swiftly so she'd be unconscious within ten minutes just for a few hours.

Shinko felt grateful and returned to her bedroom, she wasn't worried that Hidan would return, in the last couple of days he steered clear of her almost completely and at night had been sleeping with his back to her.

She took one pill with some water and laid down upon the bed, trying to get comfortable. An hour passed and nothing happened, lifting the bottle, she read the label and it said what Arata had told her they'd work almost instantly, yet nothing had happened.

So she took another...and then another...

Half an hour went by and nothing continued to happen, by this point, Shinko was incredibly frustrated that Arata had played a mean trick on her, so she took another three.

After ten more minutes, she finally got fed-up and got up from the bed, only to sway horribly from nausea, she felt her feet stumble and she blacked out a little, only to open her eyes and find herself kneeling near the bed holding her head in her hands. Confused, she got up again, only to feel the same horrid vertigo before she saw herself fall, though she blacked out before hitting the ground.

Every few seconds she'd come too then black-out again, she didn't know how long this went on for, it felt like days were passing her by, yet nothing had changed since she remained laid there on the floor.

When she came too next, she found the room covered in darkness and wasn't at all surprised to find herself still laid on the floor next to the bed, though when she made a move to get up, she found she couldn't, her limbs felt like jelly, her muscles ached and her entire body refused to do as she commanded.

Panic almost overwhelmed and yet at the back of her mind, she couldn't help wondering if this was what if felt like to die?

A few tears fell from her eyes at the thought of leaving this world before seeing her grandfather and before confronting Hidan to find out _why_ he was avoiding her...she never even got to tell them how much she loved them both.

Her world faded to black once more and somewhere in her subconscious, she found she no longer cared if she awoke or not, she simply felt too tired to complain or worry about much of anything.

The next time she opened her eyes, she found she was laid in her bed and Kakuzu was sat next to her, watching her with relief shining in his eyes, though there was a deep anger that she could see he was trying to suppress.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." His gruff voice spoke of his impending anger and she couldn't find the effort to defend herself.

"Just what in God's name were you thinking-?" He then held his hand up as Shinko opened her mouth, cutting off what she was going to say and all but shouted "No, let me rephrase that, you _weren't_ thinking!"

Shinko's mouth closed and watched in unchecked shock as his large hand grabbed her chin in a harsh grip, forcing her to meet his dark gaze.

"You stupid, stupid _bitch_! What would you grandfather say? What would Hidan do if he'd found you like this?"

She glanced away from his harsh glare, feeling guilt eat at her slowly from the inside-out.

"I don't know...you're right. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry-"

Kakuzu's arm recoiled and he slapped her; hard, she choked in horror that he'd struck her, something he'd never done, not even in battle, sure he'd punched and kicked her, but never slapped, it wasn't deemed appropriate for battle and he'd never had to discipline her, until now that is.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me you're sorry, cos we both know you're _not_ sorry, not in the least!" He snarled as he bent down and picked up the half-empty bottle of pills that had previously laid on the floor.

"_Who_ gave these to you? And you better tell me the truth, I know I didn't bring these with me, so tell me, did you plan on attempting to overdose yourself this entire time or did you have some outside help?"

Shinko's eyes widened at his conclusion "God no! You've got it all wrong! I wasn't trying to kill myself! I only wanted something to calm my dizziness and sickness, the scent of salt from the sea was making me ill-"

"You seriously expect me to believe you?" He hissed angrily.

Shinko scrambled to the other side of the bed, wanting to get as far away from Kakuzu as possible, usually when angry he'd commit murder, in the past he'd rip and torn Hidan's body apart because it wouldn't kill him, but now, Hidan was nowhere to be found. Not that she'd let him so much as break a bone on Hidan's body with the intention of seriously hurting him. She'd kill Kakuzu before that happened...or at least try to stop him.

"It's the truth! I _swear_ it! I went to see Arata and he gave me those pills, I told him I needed something to calm my stomach and stop the dizziness, it was keeping me up at night!"

Kakuzu became thoughtful, though he still appeared livid, turning away from the bed, he headed towards the door as he snapped "Wait here, I'll be back soon."

For some reason Shinko didn't like where this was going.

**/*\*/*\**

Kakuzu had never been more livid in his entire life.

To find Shinko laid on the floor of her bedroom stiff as a corpse and admittedly looking very much like the dead, he'd panicked and thought someone had assassinated her or that _somehow_ the poison in her wound had returned with a vengeance.

But upon finding her laid there with a small bottle on the floor not too far away with pills strewn across the floor, his panic had gone into overdrive. He'd put her to bed and picked up the pills, reading the label of the pills and getting to the sudden conclusion that she'd been given some powerful drug, he couldn't think for the life of him which one it was, though he knew it had to have been sold on the black market, which would explain _how_ Arata had gotten a hold of them.

He stalked along the corridors of the ship, until he heard Arata's voice from within a closed room, he didn't bother knocking and barged straight in, not at all surprised to see Arata sat at a table playing cards with a few of his crew men and Hidan sat at the bar drinking some alcoholic drink of sorts. They all turned to look at him and immediately quieted down upon noticing his angered eyes gleaming straight at Arata.

Kakuzu wasted no time in stalking across the room and slamming down the bottle of pills before him.

"Mind explaining to me how you got _these_?"

Arata's face paled slightly, his crew remained ever watchful, until he nodded to them, signalling them to leave and give them some privacy. However, Hidan remained, completely ignoring his drink in view of finding this spectacle more amusing.

Kakuzu ranted on as soon as they others had left "They are illegal drugs, Arata, you should know better than to have stashed these on this ship! And why on God's earth did you think to give them Shinko?"

Hidan's face paled before a frantic look entered his eyes, rushing over he snapped "What the fuck happened? What did he give to Shinko?"

Kakuzu ignored the albino male and kept his eyes fixed on the captain of the ship.

"She came to me, asking me for something to settle her stomach, she'd explained to me she'd been puking up blood, that she always felt incredibly dizzy and hadn't been sleeping ever since she'd come on the ship. I remembered you telling me she was half-Demon-" Hidan cut him off as he snarled "she's half-Vampire you stupid, fucking prick! If she's hurt in any way, I'll-"

"That's enough Hidan. I understand why you gave these to her, but how many did you tell her to take?" Kakuzu asked, trying to maintain some of his draining composure.

"Just one. That would be more than enough for her...or rather, any _human_ that is." Arata responded calmly, not quite grasping what the problem was.

Kakuzu's anger abated slightly, realising what the problem was.

"A normal dosage of medicine doesn't work on Shinko as it does for everyone else; I fear she's taken more than the prescribed dose..."

"Impossible! She should take no more than one every four hours! Any more than the usual dosage and she'd kill herself!" Arata exclaimed in shock.

At this Hidan's panic went into overdrive "W-what? What do you mean? Huh? C'mon Kakuzu, don't keep me fucking waiting!" When an answer wasn't forthcoming, his face turned to a horrified expression, pain rushed through him and he fought desperately to maintain some calm before he went berserk "Where is she? What the fuck has happened to my fiancé?"

"She's alive, Hidan, calm down, I found her laid on the floor out-cold. At first I thought she was dead, but she eventually came round. She must've been unconscious for some time since she might as well have been in a coma for all the calling and shaking I did to her." Kakuzu explained, watching as relief settled on Hidan's face, before it was replaced with an anxious expression.

"I gotta go; she needs me, and you-!" Hidan shifted his glare to Arata who was white as a ghost and jumped in his seat when he was addressed, his gaze met Hidan's magenta eyes.

"I'll gut you like a fucking pig if you try anything like this again!" And then Hidan ran out of the room, his promise sending cold shivers down Arata's spine.

"I only wanted to help her, Kakuzu, you know that right?" Arata pleaded, sad eyes desperate and begging for forgiveness that it almost made the older man feel sick.

"I understand, but next time, send her to me." Kakuzu stated before he turned and left the room, following slowly after Hidan.

Meanwhile, Arata lowered his head into his hands, heaving a sigh; he allowed a few tears to escape.

Kakuzu, his mentor was disappointed in him, perhaps disgusted with him, he could easily hate him now for what's transpired and there was nothing he could do about it.

He couldn't but wonder if he'd ever be forgiven.

* * *

**A/N: Oh boy that was sure depressing, lol. May I just say that in **_**no**_** way do I condone overdosing or abusing of drugs/medicine, to be honest, I didn't plan on adding that in, but once again, my muse took me to places unexplored! So yeah, in the next chapter they FINALLY arrive in Demon country! :D I'm super-excited about this; we're finally getting closer to the end! XD I still have roughly 10 chapters to go before this thing is finished (when will it ever end? Waaah!)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	34. Welcome to Demon Country!

**A/N: Hi peeps! I hope you all remember me and this story?! I'm SO terribly sorry for taking THIS LONG to update! SERIOUSLY, it's been what? 8 MONTHS? D: Jesus! Forgive me, I really didn't mean to leave you all waiting. But I'll give you a basic run-down of what's happened in my life to cause such disruption; I got a job! (YAY!) I got it at the end of March and have been working since, I celebrated my 20****th**** birthday in April, it was both of my uncles' 50****th**** birthdays this year (whilst having everyone else's in between, lol), I started a new fanfic 'Just Purrfect!' in Summer whilst working on various others during this long waiting period. I'm currently rather ill at the moment with a type of Pleurisy and have recently been fretting about Christmas shopping. So yeah, busy year, anyway, enough about me, please enjoy this chapter that I've been procrastinating on for-like-ever! D:**

**MANY THANKS TO; 'Rawripop' and 'Kaity' for the lovely reviews, honestly, I re-read them the other day and they motivated my arse into typing this next chapter out :D**

* * *

**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story; I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, Arata, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense.

**WARNING: **Minor sexual content, nothing too extreme, it's rated 'M' so I don't expect any flames for this.

**Part Thirty-Four: Welcome to Demon Country!**

To say Shinko felt embarrassed was an understatement.

Hidan refused to leave her side completely upon returning to their room.

Kakuzu had calmly waltzed into the room and gave her a stern lecture before leaving, slamming the door shut behind him, it was pretty obvious he was in a foul mood.

That evening, Hidan had his food sent to their room, by now, his scrutinising stares were beginning to get on her nerves.

"Honestly, Hidan, I'm not stupid-"

"Don't finish that sentence, because you've proven that you're fucking stupid enough to trust that damn prick!" Hidan snarled from his seat near the door, almost acting very much like a guard on duty.

Shinko closed her mouth; feeling stung by his harsh attitude, her eyes shifted over to the small window of the room and could just see the stars glistening in the distant dark sky. It eased her irritation a little watching them shine brightly. She wondered what it would be like to be a star in the vast bleak space of the universe.

Surely it must be lonely?

Floating about up there with no one else to talk too or touch, it must also be pretty boring just doing the same old thing over and over.

"He's nothing but a fucking upstart, I _knew_ it from the moment we met him, he was way too bloody smooth!" Hidan growled.

"At least he tried to help, who else could I have asked? _No one_, you were avoiding me like the plague!" Shinko rounded on him with renewed anger, her eyes flashing at him in the darkness of the dimly lit room.

"I wasn't fucking avoiding you-"

Shinko cut him off with a bitter laugh "Oh don't try and play innocent Hidan, _you_ _knew_ you were avoiding me, you went out of your way to keep your distance!"

He didn't reply, his eyes glared at the floor, his arms folded so tightly across his chest that it looked almost painful.

She gave a snort, feeling tears burning in her eyes, she turned away from him "If you didn't want to be with me anymore then you should've just _said_ something. We're not married or mated or _anything_, so if you want out, then take it and _leave me alone_."

She heard his quick intake of breath and silently listened onto his thoughts, all of which were rushing through so quickly with curses added in here and there that she couldn't make out much of how he felt.

"You think I don't love you anymore?" He actually sounded surprised.

"It's not a case of thinking, Hidan, you've been giving me mixed signals, I understand if your views of me have changed...I also understand if you're fed up with me..." Shinko's voice trailed off as she closed her eyes tightly, remembering with a pang of hurt in her heart how he used to flirt aimlessly with any pretty girl he could find. Back then, it rarely bothered her, but now...he hadn't had sex in the last four-five months and with him being so used to having women falling at his feet before him all the time, it must be difficult with the sudden change.

To suddenly take on celibacy and deal with so many problems as well as a moody mate, it certainly added frustration to his already barely contained rage. He _must_ be sick of her by now, surely no one would put up with someone incredibly selfish as her?

But was she _that_ selfish to want to keep him to herself?

Hidan's a wild spirit, he's more used to doing what he wants when he wants and answers to no one, but now he has to learn that he can't just mess around whenever the opportunity arises since he has her to think about.

It also doesn't help that she has many enemies that only wish to see her dead.

And some small part of her believes that she should rightfully be dead.

What right did she have to a normal life? A life filled with love and happiness...when she'd destroyed so many others. She's a monster through-and-through. No amount of arguing on her defence could change that fact. What was even worse was that she didn't regret killing any of them, even if they were children.

"I _do_ love you...I fucking _do_..." Hidan whispered quietly, his eyes shifting to the floor once more as a dark look entered his eyes, anger began to seep in. How could she even question his love for her? Sure he'd been a little distant lately, but didn't she realise that he'd been extremely embarrassed about everything he'd said when he'd been drunk the other night? It'd cut his pride deeply that he'd been so weak and pathetic, snivelling and holding onto to her as a child would do to their mother after being awoken from a horrible nightmare.

He wasn't a fucking child, dammit!

When she didn't reply, his hands curled into fists and his teeth ground together.

In his unabated fury, he stood and stalked across the room to her as she was sat on the bed, turned away from him. His hands snatched out and grabbed onto her before shoving her down onto the bed forcefully-though somewhere in his mind he was completely baffled that she'd _allowed_ him to move her.

"You think I don't fucking love you? Huh! You're wrong! Stupid bitch-you're wrong!" He snarled as his eyes glittered with a malicious glare.

Although she was a little surprised with how angry he was, she couldn't say she hadn't been expecting some sort of reaction from him; Hidan was never one to take things lying down. Instead, she merely stared up at him patiently and submissively.

He is her dominant and in fact, she'd actually disregarded his abilities to a degree, she'd always been so worried about someone hurting him with the intention of killing him that she'd often neglected her own safety in efforts of preventing the slightest injury to befall him.

Shinko was internally stunned that he hadn't even brought it up; surely he must be irritated with her coddling by now?

"I just...I don't know what to think anymore..." Tears began to form in her eyes so suddenly that she had no time to wipe the first droplets of tears that escaped down her cheeks.

Hidan remained knelt above her, his body stiff as he stared down at her in surprise that she would openly cry in front of him, to willingly cry in front of him. She was made of tougher stuff than that, he knew this, she knew this, everyone knew this.

His hand brushed away the tears that continued to flow steadily before leaning in to lick them away with his tongue. The saltiness didn't faze him, he'd tasted worse.

"Shh, it's okay. You know I fucking love you, Shinko, _nothing_ will change that, I just, I dunno, the other night, it bothered me...to be so pathetic in front of you. I should be fucking stronger than that and there you were...holding me like a damn child!" Hidan murmured quietly to her, as if he were afraid of anyone overhearing them, despite them being the only two occupants of the room.

Shinko sniffed a little, her tears drying up at the confession and she felt an unbelievable amount of weight being lifted from her shoulders.

All this time, she'd believed it'd been her that'd done something to hurt or offend him, it'd torn her apart with worry as she wondered what it was that she could've possibly done to gain such a reaction from her beloved.

To learn that it was all down to his bruised ego...it made her want to laugh and shout at him at the same time.

And yet...

"So you're not upset with me?" She asked meekly, fully aware that Hidan was still above her, still the dominant in their relationship.

He blinked, confusion marring his features "Why the fuck would I be upset with you?"

"I don't know, you tell me." She shrugged in response.

"Well, I'm not upset with you, just at myself..." He looked away from her then in shame, as if by admitting such a thing meant he was weakling.

"You don't need to hide your feelings from me, Hidan...heck, I'm a mess, look at me!" She lifted a hand to his face, cupping it; she forced his face to turn to hers. Giving him a serious stare, she loosened her grip a little and palmed his cheek "I'm not perfect, no one is, I've been a mess for a long time...but seeing grandpa...well, I hope it'll bring me some closer to all of this. But you...you may always be loud and brash, but you always bottle up your _real_ feelings from not only myself but everyone else...just...don't close yourself off from me...I want you to tell me how you feel, not cut me off and ignore me."

She then glared at him and with the hand that was caressing his cheek, she pulled it back and slapped it hard across his face, his astonished cry breaking from his parted lips as he fell off of her sideways.

Sitting upright upon the bed, she watched as he twisted round, his hand resting against his reddened cheek, glaring her with vibrant magenta eyes.

"You are such an arsehole Hidan! You had me worried for _days_ thinking it was _my_ fault! Next time, _talk_ to me!" Shinko hissed.

"Fine! You want me to open up to you?" Hidan leaned upon his bent knees on the bed so that he was above her in height, staring her down, his eyes filling with lust and anger.

"Then I will! I want to fuck you, here-now, I want to shove my dick so far up your pussy and fuck you so hard, you won't be able to walk for a fucking week! I want to make you cum and fill you with my own so much that you'll be delirious and never think of another man _ever again_! I'd make you suck my dick and cum in your mouth so you'd become addicted to my flavour and beg for more, because _yes_, I'm in love with you and your sexy-arse body! It's like you're damn well teasing me all the fucking time! I've been horny for you for so long, masturbating frequently as I've fantasised how you'd prepare yourself for me and all of the different positions you'd try out for me!" Hidan's face was red now with pent up frustration, panting for loss of breath and the exertion of such raw emotions.

Shinko's mouth had gone completely dry and remained a little open in surprise, her eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights as her body remained still and shock as well as embarrassment coursed through her body.

For many moments, Hidan's harsh breathing was the only noise made between them, until Shinko visibly and painfully gulped. Her face seemed a little paler than usual. Inside, she felt nervous and uncertain, though she was pleased he longed for her in such a way, it went to prove that he still desired her.

"I-I...didn't know you felt that way..." she croaked.

"Yeah? Well now you fucking do! So don't go assuming that I don't care anymore or that I want anyone else! The only reason I'm not doing those things to you right now is cos I respect you and your damn culture. Your people wait until they're mated or married-right?"

Shinko nodded dumbly.

"Then there's your fucking reason." Hidan growled as he moved from the bed and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. She heard the audible click of the lock in the door and listened carefully as he turned on the shower.

Shinko remained sat still upon the bed, staring out the window in the darkness of the room, barely listening to Hidan washing in the shower, after a while, her ears picked up on the sounds of grunting and harsh breathing. She blinked and looked around the room, trying to pinpoint the sounds only for her gaze to fall upon the bathroom door.

If she had blood running through her body, her cheeks would be burning at the stark realisation that Hidan was in fact masturbating in the bathroom, next door, where she was almost certain he was aware that she could listen in on him in such a lewd act.

It was extremely arousing and yet embarrassing.

She didn't know what to do, she had nothing to tune his groans out with, she wasn't allowed to leave her room after what'd happened earlier and she sure as hell wouldn't be able to look him in the eye later when he finished and returned to her.

She could easily envision the triumphant smirk on his face, in his own way; he was torturing her, knowing that she has sensitive hearing and using it to his advantage.

Clever bastard.

But not clever enough, she mused.

He was playing a very dangerous game.

Vampires are highly-sexed creatures, sex was a natural occurrence in her race, lust left unchecked could prove risky. More so for male Vampire's, but even female Vampire's felt the pull of desire and disliked being closed off from completion.

Oh, she would play along alright, but he would soon realise not to mess with her in that department.

Silently, she walked to the bathroom door, pulling a clip out of her hair she began picking the lock, Hidan's moaning and heavy breathing made her hands shake in anticipation, however, she still had enough control to unlock the door without alerting the waiting occupant within.

Clearly he had other things on his mind.

She stepped into the humid bathroom, the slight mist had heated up the only mirror within, she closed the door behind her and locked it once more. She was incredibly amused to see the shower curtain drawn to give him some semblance of privacy. Not that he had any to begin with since he pushed this game.

With a small smirk, Shinko undressed until she was naked, she knew she had nothing to fear from Hidan now, he'd risked himself for her many times without question, almost cried in front of her, told her sappy words of love and comfort, stuck by her through her worst moments and cared for her when she was injured or sick.

It was only fair that she should return the favour for him being so patient.

Her footsteps went unheard of as she tred across the room silently, stopping before the shower curtain, she pulled it open slowly, aiming to surprise him and found to her delight that his back was turned towards her. Muscles rippling and taut, his right arm moving like crazy in jerky movements, licking her lips she imagined his large and calloused hands working over his rigid flesh that longed for attention.

She stepped up behind him, stretching upwards, she sent her cold breath on the back of his neck, almost giggling when she saw the goose bumps raise upon his skin, his body stiffened before he twisted round and sent out his elbow, aiming to jab whoever it was in the gut for disturbing him. In the back of his mind, he was certain he'd locked the bathroom door.

Having used her super speed, she'd moved around him, now that he was facing out into the bathroom, noticing the shower curtain open, she was behind him once more, under the warm spray of the shower. The temperature almost foreign upon her pale, cold skin.

"That wasn't very nice, love," she crooned from behind him, watching in malicious glee as he paled considerably and slowly turned to face her, his eyes burning with shock, lust and perhaps shame.

However, as his eyes travelled over her naked form, the colour soon returned to his pale skin, turning it almost red in embarrassment and want. If anything his swollen cock twitched at the sensuous sight before him.

Many times he'd imagined her naked. Having only ever seen her bare chest all those years ago, he hadn't realised she'd matured a lot since then, her breasts were a few cups bigger than they were three years prior. He wondered what else had matured over time.

"Do you like what you see?" She smiled innocently at him, reminding him of all those times years ago when he'd read to her or surprise her that she'd give him that lovely smile. Man, he was going to hell for this and he didn't even care!

"H-holy shit, Shinko, w-what the fuck are you doing in here?" Hidan sounded like a pained animal as he averted his eyes, only for them to land on the juncture between her thighs, his cheeks reddened further at the lascivious thoughts crossing his mind and swiftly closed his eyes. It didn't help, since the images kept flashing behind his closed lids.

He didn't even hear her step up to him, but he felt her hands pressing against his shoulders, allowing himself to be turned since his knees were akin to jelly from withheld lust, he found his back touching the cold glass wall of the shower and gave a small hiss from the difference in temperature.

His eyes snapped open and gave a long groan when she took his swollen cock in hand and began jerking her closed hand around it slowly, his body now leaning heavily against the shower wall, his breaths coming out in small puffs and groans. His eyes half-lidded, watched as she sent kisses along his chest before taking one of his nipples in his mouth and sucking.

The sudden jolt of pleasure had him panting "S-S-Shinko, I-I think you should s-stop-!"

"No, Hidan, no more holding back. Let me show you how much I love you." She gave a few more nips as she slowly descended down below his stomach, he tried pushing her away, but his limbs felt weak, her beautiful eyes; shining that eerie blue had him transfixed. He would feel the ultimate pleasure whether he wished too or not.

His only warning was her cold breath on his swollen flesh, before she kissed the purple head; he gave a hiss at the feeling. Shinko began kissing her way down his length, before licking her way upwards; she continued this teasing until he was writhing against the wall in a lustful mess and her name falling from his swollen lips from where he'd been biting them.

She could smell his blood dribbling from his lips having bitten into them so hard, his soapy scent was sweet and gave her instant relief knowing it was the scent of her mate, but best of all, was his musky scent of pleasure. The smell and taste of his seed was dangerous and hypnotising, she couldn't get enough of it. She would willingly feed upon him forever.

"Ugh...S-Shinko-o!" Hidan groaned as Shinko sent her mouth down and over his cock, taking it in as far as she could make it go.

Hidan's hips jerked violently and he gave a sudden shout of shock and pleasure, before her strong hands held him in place, he was certain he'd have bruises there in the morning, not that he minded, in fact, it made the situation all the more hotter.

Shinko choked a little and felt tears gather behind her closed eyelids, so unused to this, she wasn't completely certain she was enjoying it, her throat was burning a little from having to take something so big into something rather small without giving it any time to adjust. But from the sounds of Hidan's heavy panting and groaning of her name, she knew it was perhaps heavenly for him and that was what mattered to her the most. His pleasure made her happy.

His hands gripped into her hair as her head moved over and on him, her tongue licking where her mouth couldn't reach, before pulling away completely she'd suck on the head and lick the slit, pre-cum gathered there and he knew within a couple of minutes that he wouldn't last much longer. He'd abstained for too long almost to the point where his hand wasn't doing him much justice anymore.

Shinko is a godsend, he knew his Lord Jashin must've compelled her to come in here to help relieve him, call it divine intervention, but he found this ultimate act of trust heavenly. He was finally being rewarded for all of his patience; both Shinko and Jashin were giving him release.

His thoughts snapped off when he felt completion nearing, his hands fisted her hair harder "S-S-Shinko..._fuck_!I-I'm gonna c-cum!"

She continued on, although having heard the warning, she found she didn't care and longed for the taste of him.

She didn't have to wait long.

Within seconds, he ejaculated into her mouth and down her throat as she swallowed the thick and rich fluid, his cries were loud and his hips jerked into her face a little with each spurt of cum and Shinko found herself glad that she didn't need oxygen to breathe since she's technically dead already.

Some of the white substance trickled down the side of her mouth and towards her chin before dripping off onto her breasts, gathering there.

After a minute, Hidan pulled away, his entire body shaking in pleasure, he gulped in air as if he'd run for two days straight, his body eventually gave out and he slowly slumped to the floor of the shower, the warm spray of water washing over them. Shinko remained kneeled where she was, cleaning up what was left of his completion and watching him intently; awaiting his reaction.

For many minutes, Hidan remained as he was, his eyes closed, before he slowly forced them open and found his woman knelt before him patiently, though a worried look had entered her eyes and he wondered whether he'd been too rough with her.

Without saying anything, he pulled her to him, allowing her to settle between his legs and his arms enclosed around her. Shinko let her head rest against his right shoulder and closed her eyes, although she was very aroused, knowing that she pleased her beloved gave her incredible satisfaction.

"I adore you..." He murmured as he pressed exhausted kisses along her wet hair and somehow, she knew that everything would work out for them in the end.

**/*\*/*\**

It was the next morning and they were only minutes away from boarding onto Demon country territory.

The night before, Shinko and Hidan had bonded on a level that they hadn't thought to take before, having both previously decided to not do anything sexual until they had her grandfather's approval, they'd never assumed that by doing so it would test their sanities.

Shinko's throat was no longer sore and Hidan was happy, it was like a dark cloud had been shifted, a smile was hardly missing from his face and he'd kept pretty close to his girl as much as possible.

It was only after they'd finished in the shower and dressed for bed that Hidan was struck by the thought that he hadn't pleasured Shinko at all and she hadn't complained or voiced such things to him. It made his heart swell to know that she would put his needs before hers, yet it also bothered him. She was willing to pleasure him, didn't she wish for the favour to be returned? Didn't she long for release?

Either way, he hadn't found time to ask her, for they'd been awoken by Kakuzu banging on their door early hours of the morning and informing them that they were to dock upon the borders of Demon country within the hour.

That much was obvious since upon looking out the windows of the ship they could barely see anything as mist had started to fog up around them, making it almost impossible to see where it was they were headed too.

Hidan and Kakuzu had a rather hasty breakfast, though they had longed for something more sustainable, for it would be another week before reaching Tadashii's dwelling (if all goes to plan). It would be a long while before they could eat a decent meal.

Out of them all, Shinko was looking forward to stepping on dry land, the smell of salt from the ocean had lessened slightly as they approached Demon country and she found herself pleasantly surprised that old scents were returning to her. The smell of old withered trees, of ash, cold earth and moist air; it was a welcome blessing in comparison to what her nose had been subjected too recently.

Soon she would be home once more...after so long...

"Y'know, I think this is the first time I've seen you so relaxed," Arata spoke up from behind her, causing her to stiffen in response. So deep were her thoughts that she hadn't checked her surroundings to see if anyone was approaching her. She also hadn't forgotten what'd happened and she knew if Hidan were to catch sight of the man anywhere near her, then she was certain Hidan would commit murder.

And considering Arata was the only man willing and able enough to take them across the sea and return to pick them up was another reason why he shouldn't be killed.

Shinko was stood on deck by the railings, looking out into the distance, her enhanced eyesight catching the outlay of the Demon country before her. She was bordering upon desperate to depart from the ship, the last few days had her feeling rather caged and she longed to be upon solid ground with the rich scents of the earth once more.

If things went well for them, then Shinko would see her grandfather in less than a week's time. Nervousness seeped into her stomach, what would he say when he saw her? Would he remember her? And most of all, what would _she_ say to him?

Too long had they been separated.

She suddenly wished that Hidan or Kakuzu was here to keep her company and take her mind off of worrying about what _may_ be rather than what _will_ be. Instead they were finishing packing up their belongings and would no doubt go over the map once more just to make certain of their schedule.

Shinko glanced over her shoulder at Arata and murmured "It has been a long time since I've come here...too long..."

The captain moved to her side, maintaining some distance, leaning upon the rails, he gave a heavy sigh "Look...about yesterday...I really want to apologise about that, I didn't realise that the medication wouldn't work with your system as it does with human's and-"

"It doesn't matter, what's done is done, I don't hold it against you, I had a feeling it wouldn't work, but I overdosed myself regardless of that concern."

Arata let out a long breath in relief, the worry that'd haunted him for the past twenty-four hours dispersed and now he was smiling happily at her "T-thank you, Shinko, if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, please let me know."

She didn't reply, not sure of what to say. She didn't wish for any kind of debt from this man, she felt sorry for him over his past and his losses, but her patience had waned and she no longer found herself willing to share the company of this...human. Whether his intentions were honest or not, she just wanted to get off the ship and not have to think or talk to him again.

"Land ho! Captain! Land ho!" One of Arata's shipmates called out from above them, it was from a rather small, balding man who was holding a telescope to his eye.

"Very good! How long until we reach the shore?" Arata called back.

"I'd guess another ten minutes captain!" Was the answering cry.

Arata smiled once more, turning to Shinko he tilted his head to her "Excuse me, I shall be needed by the men, it would be best if you were to find your companions for we will not linger upon these foreign shores."

Shinko merely gave a nod and watched as he briskly walked away. Oh yes, she knew why he was unwilling to hang around upon the shores of Demon country, she knew only too well. Werewolves plagued the area, or at least they had done the last time she'd been here, they were clever, incredibly fast and destructive.

Trade into Demon country was non-existent, such a thing hadn't taken place in well over thirty years, it may not seem long in the grand scale of things, but it was long enough for the remaining human's to pack up and leave whilst they still had the chance. Thusly, Demon and Void country were cut off from trade overseas and became the barren wastelands they're known for to this day.

It was a place very few dared to go too, many sailors refused to go within a mile radius of the country, fearing the fog and how it impaired their vision, folklore spoke of how the land is cursed. The rumour amused the half-Vampire, if only they knew just how cursed the land really was...

Her thoughts were cut off as she saw Hidan walk out onto the deck, his face lit up when he saw her and strode over to her side, his hand clasping hers upon the railings of the ship.

"I can't believe we're back here again..." Hidan sent a look of unease her way, though his eyes were filtered with a deep fondness for her.

"It's been so long..." She replied in agreement, but gave him a small, encouraging smile.

"Soon this will be over with, then we can get the fuck outta here and go back to the land of the living. We can do as we please."

She didn't reply, fearing that the truth she would speak and knew would occur may destroy their rare moment of calm and serenity. Deep within her dead heart, Shinko feared that she was merely destined to bring chaos with her where ever she may go. Maybe she is also cursed...just like her homeland.

**/*\*/*\**

"I dare not go any further, but I trust in each of you that you shall return safely." Arata spoke up with a voice filled of authority; perhaps it was how he spoke to his men during tough times and also to those that are doomed...

"We will be here waiting for you in three weeks' time, don't be late." Kakuzu growled, giving his younger friend a stern glare that promised pain and possibly death should he not do as he's told.

Instead, Arata merely chuckled at them, not at all intimidated by the large build of the S-rank criminal before him.

"Don't worry, Kakuzu, old friend, I promised you I would return and return I shall. I still owe you after all this time, I never forget my debts."

Kakuzu remained silent, but it was Shinko that forced herself to say "Thank you for helping us."

The middle-aged captain smiled, before turning and walking back toward his ship and called "You're welcome, until we next meet-"

"Which is in three weeks' time arsehole so you better not forget us!" Hidan retorted, scowl on his face as he glared at the captain's back with barely contained fury.

It seemed some were not willing to forget old grudges anytime soon.

The trio stood silently and watched as the ship slowly sailed off into the distance until the fog covered them completely, the sound of waves splashing against the ragged rocks below barely soothing their now troubled thoughts.

"One part of our journey is over, now comes the hard part..." Kakuzu grumbled, turning to stare at the distant wastelands of Demon country, most of it coveted in white mist, the grey sky above barely shedding any light below, the earth was cold and dark. Withered and burned trees remained rooted in the ground with no signs of life on their branches. There was no distinctive path to follow, from now on; they would need to rely on the five senses, their tracking abilities and their memories of a land they hadn't visited in years.

"Let's go, this visit is long overdue and I don't plan to be eaten anytime soon." Kakuzu stated as he took to the front, leading them on, though maintained a reasonable closeness so they wouldn't lose sight of each other.

Shinko took a deep breath for courage and grabbed Hidan's hand, allowing him to guide her through, her thoughts muddled, but her happiness slowly returning.

She's going home!

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it! I hope to have the next chapter up before Christmas, but I can't guarantee anything with how chaotic life has been, but have no fear, I'm pretty much on-track with the chapters. I just need to type out the next one and then the few after that should be out relatively quickly. So please let me know of your thoughts and thanks for reading! :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	35. Venturing Inland, Open Danger

**A/N: Hello there! Well, here's another instalment and looky! You didn't have to wait 8 months for it, haha! Anyway, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas; I certainly did, the best one in years :) I will admit that I struggled a little with this chapter, but hopefully the next 2 or 3 should be posted in a reasonable waiting period. Anywho, happy New Year everybody! :D**

**MANY THANKS TO; 'Guest', 'Lunarnerdette', 'udntnedo2no', 'Spencer' and 'TheQuietHyuga' for your reviews! I'm glad that you guys are giving it a try and being open (and honest) of your thoughts, I really appreciate it! Thank you for the support! :)**

* * *

**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story; I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, Arata, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense.

**Part Thirty-Five: Venturing Inland, Open Danger **

The week had started off on a positive note, for the first couple of days they had travelled many miles in silence. Shinko had been firm in this decision, although she knew how much Hidan liked to talk or rather _rant_; there were other forces of nature working out here. Other monsters that wouldn't think twice about hunting them for food.

Hidan didn't like the idea of being quiet for such long periods of time, he just _had_ to talk.

When Shinko mentioned the use of sign language as a way of communicating with each other she wasn't surprised that Hidan detested the idea. For one thing they knew nothing of hand signing, so they decided to create their own. This would also work in case they got split up and would be able to identify each other without speaking; it was a brilliant way of catching out spies.

"Dammit, I won't remember any of this shit!" Hidan hissed to himself, unaware of the knowing smile on his fiancé's face. She would be surprised if he did remember any of it, it was well-known that Hidan's mind often became like that of a sieve and filtered random thoughts.

She was planning on him forgetting.

'Man, what I would do for some sake right now', Hidan's thought entered Shinko's mind and she resisted an eye-roll. Trust him to be thinking of having a stiff drink when they're in the middle of nowhere, with the possibility of being hunted by vicious monsters and with the intention of meeting an ancient, noble Vampire that would ultimately make or break their future.

Huh, maybe that's exactly _why_ he wanted a drink.

"Only shout when you're in trouble, we don't wish to alert...the natives." Kakuzu spat, the term 'native' being used loosely, those things he'd come in contact with years ago had been disturbingly terrifying.

Such a beast was unimaginable, however, he'd never gotten the chance to catch a proper view of the creature; the Werewolf and he hoped he'd never cross paths with one ever again. It was pure luck that the winds had been in his and Hidan's favour all those years ago, but he couldn't count on that happening way out here now.

They'd endured a lot of bad luck lately; it wouldn't surprise him if they had some more just to botch things up along the way.

Hidan snorted "Who'd be dumb enough to cross me and Jashin? I'll smite their ruins upon the fucking earth and they'll be seeing my God in the afterlife as he devourers their souls!"

Kakuzu's eye twitched with withering impatience whilst Shinko merely stared at him with a deadpan expression as he preached.

"You're such an idiot," Kakuzu grumbled as he rubbed a dark hand at his brow, almost looking as though he was trying to suppress an oncoming migraine.

"And you're a cock-sucking _heathen_!" Hidan retorted cattily, having heard the insult.

"If you think that'll stop the Werewolves, you're _clearly_ mistaken," Shinko spoke up from where she was sat on the rock almost opposite them or rather not, since they were sat in a triangle formation.

"You're defending this prick?" Hidan actually looked hurt by such a thing, rounding on his fiancé with a fierce glare.

"Hidan, you're slow in your rituals, they won't wait around for you to get their blood and trust me...you will not touch their blood..." Shinko replied, her voice trailing off as she stared intensely at the small fire before them.

Hidan opened his mouth to ask _why not_ until he caught sight of Kakuzu's head shaking at him, another way of informing him not to breach the subject now. For once in his life, Hidan did as Kakuzu ordered and closed his mouth, it surprised the miser who-for years had been trying to get Hidan to do as he was told or at least cooperate on some level.

Silence fell around them, Shinko's eyes staring into the flickering flames of their small fire with a haunted-yet serious expression; she was deeply troubled. It'd been years since any of them had set foot on this land and although memories and scents were returning to her swiftly, some parts of the land remained fuzzy.

This had been proven the next morning when they'd arisen early, Kakuzu was going over the map once more, marking down where they currently were amidst all the other pen marks that'd accumulated over the years. It was also a failsafe plan that if it was ever stolen, very few would be able to decipher all the markings and their meanings. It was covered in pen marks in order to confuse.

Hidan was given the unfortunate task of tidying up, taking extra-care to cover their tracks, just because Werewolves plagued the area, didn't mean there weren't other things out there either.

Shinko stood off to one side of their previous campsite, she was listening out for any signs of approaching danger, yet so far, they'd been surprisingly fortunate in evading such tragedies. Yet she was once again troubled.

Every way she turned, fog clouded her eye sight and it was thicker than it had been the day before, her eyes would often dart about trying to find the path that she remembered walking so long ago. But it was proving futile, sooner or later they'd have to move away from the area, if they lingered too long, something may catch their scent be it beast or other predators.

Hidan groaned in frustration before he kicked at the ash from the wood they'd burned last night watching it fly with narrowed eyes alit with some form of satisfaction at creating some small semblance of chaos.

"What are you doing now?" Kakuzu grumbled, looking ever increasingly frustrated.

"None of your damn business!" Hidan snapped before kicking some more ash from the pile he'd previously formed.

"You _do_ realise you'll have to clean that up again?" The older male watched in hidden malicious glee as Hidan's handsome face fell into a scowl.

"Fuck that! If you want it clean, then _you_ do it!"

"Stop being such a child, we all agreed to take it in turns to clean up, now be a good dog and clean up your mess." Kakuzu ordered, noticing how Hidan's hair almost stuck up as he bristled from the comment, the albino male's hand reaching for his scythe.

"I'm gonna fucking gut you like the fat pig you are, bastard!" Hidan snarled dangerously as madness entered his magenta eyes.

Kakuzu shifted where he was sat, readying himself for a fight until Shinko interrupted them.

"We must leave, we cannot linger here."

"Oh, just give me five minutes and this bitch will be lying dead on the damn ground!" Hidan promised as he sent a death glare at the miser who returned it with no hesitation.

"No Hidan, we have to get moving, you can fight all you like when we get back to base, but right now, you'll do as I say if you want to stay alive and in your current form." Shinko replied sternly, sounding much like a mother would to a naughty child.

Kakuzu got to his feet and silently obeyed, mentally agreeing that it was best to move on.

Hidan stamped his feet childishly "Oh c'mon, two minutes?" When he received no reply from the now retreating forms ahead of him, he reluctantly followed after them, calling "Alright, how about one minute?"

"No means; no Hidan, don't ask again, now be silent or I'll _make_ you silent," Shinko hissed angrily, acutely aware at how loud her fiancé was being.

Hidan snorted "I'd like to see you try."

"Don't tempt me!" The Dhampir retorted, before looking at Kakuzu beside and murmured quietly enough for him to hear "sometimes it's like looking after a child."

For once, Kakuzu actually chuckled, effectively silencing Hidan's angry cries as the albino male stared at the backs of his companions and how close they were to each other. For one thing he didn't like how close they were and another, he hated it when Kakuzu laughed. It always creeped him out, the guy always sounded like a serial child rapist which he could actually pass for in that get-up.

"Hey dickhea-I mean, Kakuzu!" Hidan called sweetly, which set to promise nothing but torment and irritation "Were you by any chance a child-murdering-rapist in your _long_ life?"

Shinko's eyes widened a little at the random question and her mouth agape in horror, whilst Kakuzu's rage tipped over the edge.

Suffice to say, Hidan was very lucky that Shinko convinced the miser to sew his head back upon his neck after chopping it off with no remorse, before kicking Hidan's head into a tree like a football.

**/*\*/*\**

It went without saying that only when in danger were they allowed to shout, otherwise, conversation was virtually non-existent. It was only when they stopped for a break or at night when they slept close to each other for warmth did they whisper anything that was on their minds.

Hidan found the silence the hardest thing to live through, it felt like the hours were passing so slow, it made him think about how tired his feet were, how sore neck still was, how sick of the fog that impaired his vision and how he wasn't able to tease Kakuzu or kiss Shinko.

He wasn't allowed to do _anything_, so he did what was naturally best to him and sulked.

By the third day, Hidan was close to exploding point; there was only so much silence a loud person could take!

Shinko halted suddenly, which made her partners freeze mid-step, their muscles tensed as they readied themselves for a barrage of attacks. Only they couldn't hear anything and although the fog had lessened somewhat, they still couldn't see more than a good ten or fifteen metres ahead of themselves.

"What is it?" Kakuzu whispered.

"There's a mountain up ahead, we'll climb it," she replied as she began trekking forward once more, earning an aggravated sigh from her mate.

"Who died and made _you_ boss?" He snapped miserably.

"Quiet Hidan!" Kakuzu snarled, he couldn't believe that the idiot would completely forget about those monsters roaming the area and how they would pick up any sound or scent from a mile radius. They were quite far into Demon country territory and had so far managed to keep away from danger. It was times like these that he wished Itachi or Sasori was his partner, at least they would have the common sense to be silent when the situation called for it.

"No, I won't be fucking quiet anymore! All we've done since we've come on this stinking land is follow her around and not even questioning it! I mean-hell! Do you even _know_ where you're going?" Hidan dared to raise his voice slightly, feeling brave all of a sudden.

Shinko stopped, turning sideways to them, she glanced at Hidan, noticing how exhausted and distressed he was, then to Kakuzu, whose face she couldn't really see, though his eyes spoke volumes of anger that was currently being directed to Hidan. She looked up at the mountain some ways to her left, before sending them a neutral expression "Once we climb the mountain, we'll take a break and I shall explain it all to you. In the meantime, have a little more patience and please stay quiet."

She hated the unhappy glare Hidan sent her way, before sending it towards the ground, a frown stretching across his face. She could see how caged he was feeling, but she didn't comment on it, where they were now was not safe for them to linger and talk idly.

It took them a couple of hours to reach the top of the mountain and when they did, the men soon understood why she took them up that route.

The mountain was above the thickest parts of the fog, up as high as they were they could see all around them for over a mile, they could see the sky more clearly, a sickly, pale imitation of the sun was hidden behind foggy clouds up above. Its rays barely pierced the fog, making it all the more difficult to see.

The air felt lighter above the fog as well, there was less of the white mist up where they were and they could see each other better than they had for the last few days.

Shinko stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out into the distance, she now spoke in normal tones "I brought you both up here because it is safer here, we can see further than we could down below and there's a small stream further up the mountain."

"How do you know that?" Kakuzu asked, feeling curious.

"Because I used to hunt here with grandpa years ago," she replied casting her gaze out over the vast stretch of misty land once more before directing it to the horizon wistfully.

"You remember this place in such vivid detail? You couldn't be no more than thirteen?" Kakuzu exclaimed, he was deeply impressed, for there'd be no way for him to remember a land from long ago that was covered in thick fog and proceed through it safely.

"Yes, about that age...Vampire's have impressive mental capabilities that is why they are so strong."

Hidan slumped to the ground, leaning back against a tall boulder in exhaustion, his stomach suddenly complaining loudly "Ugh...man am I tired," he coughed then, wincing as he did so and his hand quickly went up to soothe his still sore neck.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes "You'll have to wait for something to eat, idiot, we can't afford to waste food just because you want an afternoon snack."

"Ah, c'mon Kakuzu! I'm starving here! Those shitty crackers don't do squat and you can't tell me that you're not hungry either." Hidan pleaded almost desperately, his stomach honestly felt like it was shrinking within itself painfully.

Kakuzu opened his mouth to reply until a faint grumble cut him off, his mouth closed automatically and he almost felt ready to skin Hidan when the cocky albino grinned knowingly. Feeling irritated and slightly embarrassed almost made him consider becoming a cannibal just so that he could kill, roast and eat the biggest thorn in his side and thus ending the prick's existence.

Placing a hand over his cloaked stomach, he decided that Hidan would taste disgusting what with his vulgar language and overuse of cheap hair gel. He also didn't wish to have stomach cramps, heck; he knew Hidan would probably curse him as such.

Shinko watched them patiently; amused by Kakuzu's thoughts she decided to put them out of their misery.

"I'll go find something; you both wait here and rest." She ordered, rolling her shoulders in anticipation, it'd been a couple of weeks since she'd gone on a simple; no-rules hunt for food.

"Oh no, you're _not_ going anywhere!" Hidan pointed at his fiancé almost accusingly.

She merely tilted her head and replied "Watch me."

She disappeared in a flash of colour and movement, a slight breeze blew past them at the force of her jump as she leapt from the edge of the cliff and further up into the mountain. Leaving them to eat her dust...quite literally.

Hidan spat out the bit of dirt from his mouth that'd fallen agape at her open display of defiance, before he got to his feet and looked up at the mountain above and frowned darkly. He hoisted his scythe up further upon his shoulders and made to move for the path that'd take him further up.

That is, until Kakuzu called to him "and just where do you think you're going?"

Hidan didn't stop or look back as he continued slowly, only after stopping had he realised how tired he really was "I'm going after her, fuck-face."

With little warning, Kakuzu's arm disconnected itself from its bindings, shot forward and grabbed onto Hidan left arm before it yanked him to a halt.

"You're not going anywhere."

The Jashin disciple pulled at the harsh grip, before looking round to face the miser with a harsh glare and an angry expression to match "Get your fucking hand off me, bastard! I'm going after her whether you like it or not."

Kakuzu was unperturbed by such hatred thrown his way, though his green eyes did narrow menacingly "Get a grip, you fool! You don't know the outlay of this mountain and it's very steep, you need to rest and preserve your chakra. Knowing you, you'll fall within the first ten minutes of trying to climb it. Shinko knows what she's doing, so sit down and wait for her return."

"How can you be so calm about this, eh?! What if she gets hurt?"

Kakuzu shrugged "I'm pretty sure if there was anything dangerous up here we would've met it by now, besides, she can take care of herself, she's pulled through for us before, so calm down and let her have some freedom for a few minutes. Quite frankly, I'd _love_ to get away from _you_."

At this, Hidan lost the energy to fight, he felt Kakuzu's hand remove itself from him and he sighed heavily. Returning to his previous seat, he sat down in silence, glaring at the ground and decided to _patiently_ wait until his love returned.

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko returned not long after their heated discussion, finding the atmosphere around the two males almost below freezing, she knew they'd quarrelled.

Kakuzu was leaning against a dead tree upon their ledge and was dozing a little, or at least that looked to be what he was doing considering his eyes were closed, his breathing slow and his posture relaxed. Hidan had just barely managed to fight off the temptation to sleep and found himself drained yet relieved to see her return unharmed.

She produced several large fish which instantly made his mouth drool and his stomach give a growl in response, his previous thoughts of reprimanding her having vanished in light of being presented with something to quell his hunger pains.

She left once more to gather some wood for a small fire and once it was blazing, she began to cook the large fish, Kakuzu by this point was almost deeply asleep, clearly exhaustion had caught up with him at last.

Hidan had taken to sitting next to Shinko. The sides of their bodies touching slightly in need of comfort, having had to keep a relative distance from each other since leaving the ship in case they had to defend themselves or flee, he found the contact pleasant and a welcome bliss.

Shinko seemed more at ease as she poked at the fish every now and then, her expression was soft and a very faint smile could almost be seen stretching her lips.

"I've missed this..." Hidan murmured as he placed an arm full of solid muscle around her, his warmth a welcome change to the usual cool temperature of her body.

She smiled and leaned in towards his embrace, her lips trailing up to his sore neck to press a few gentle kisses and licks there. There was a sharp intake of breath and she reluctantly pulled away, looking slightly concerned "Did I hurt you?"

He shook his head "No, it just stings sometimes..."

"That means it still hurts, silly," she teased.

Hidan pouted playfully and she couldn't help but press a kiss on the corner of his mouth, which he then turned to face her and planted their lips together in a brutal kiss that was set to prove dominance rather than passion.

She let him win, before pulling away and watching as he panted for breath, how his cheeks were slightly flushed and how fast his heart was beating. She felt the pull again and immediately clamped her jaws together, her body stiffening in response, which made Hidan alert-yet confused as to why she suddenly closed off from him.

"What is it?" He whispered, eyes darting about him, searching for any enemy nearby.

"It's nothing..." she almost whimpered.

"It's definitely something!" Hidan snapped defiantly, his magenta eyes trying to catch her gaze, though for some reason she refused to look him in the eye.

"I just need a minute." She retorted in what sounded like a pained voice.

He hesitated until his eyes widened slightly, remembering what she was and that she hadn't fed within four days. Usually, she could go up to two weeks without feeding, but with the whole incident of overdosing herself on illegal drugs and how sick she was on the arriving journey, he hardly found it surprising that she was beginning to hunger once more.

He could see the faint glow of her now blue eyes, shining, her body was trembling slightly as she fought the urge to follow through with what her instincts were screaming at her to do. And he watched it all in fascination, noticed the primal rage she was desperately reigning in to control. She looked feral and strong; if they weren't on a mission and in the company of another person, Hidan would've been turned on by such an open display of lack of control.

A strangled groan came from his throat that swiftly turned into a purr "Ohh, I just wanna fucking ravage you right now."

If she had a heartbeat, Shinko's face would be up in flames, deep down she felt rather stimulated by how passionate and deep his voice had become, instead, she settled for a displeased look "Don't say that to me when I'm trying to calm myself down."

A smirk crossed his face then "Just think...when we're back at the base, I can do all that I want to you and you can bite and scratch the fuck outta me-damn, this is too much!"

She shivered in response to the promise in his voice and was about to reply until Kakuzu's weary voice broke them out of their reverie "Is something burning?"

Shinko's eyes widened "My fish!"

**/*\*/*\**

It was later that evening when they decided to continue over the mountain as a opposed to going around it and be more susceptible to attack. Kakuzu hadn't liked the idea one bit, the terrain was steep and rocky, made even more difficult due to lack of light.

The only thing Hidan was frustrated with was all the walking they had to do, at that moment; he only wished to be wrapped up in his bed with his fiancé to keep him warm.

Shinko on the other hand was determined to avoid danger at all costs, even if it meant taking a longer route, her top priority was their safety among other things.

She took to the front, leading them over the mountain, signalling they stop closer to the top near the stream which would wash away their scent when they'd cross it the next morning.

Kakuzu took to the back of the trio, reluctant to follow after the Dhampir, but decided there was little else he could do, he didn't wish to trek all the way back down the mountain and no doubt walk straight into the jaws of a wandering Werewolf.

By now, the darkening sky was clearing of fog above and the moon was piercing through, stars shone brightly with it and for a few moments, they all paused to admire the beauty of such a view.

Hidan whistled low "What a fucking view!"

Kakuzu made a deep 'hmm' sound in his throat, for once agreeing with the Jashin worshipper.

"I used to see this every night when I lived with grandpa; we sometimes watched it together..." Shinko murmured, before sighing deeply and looking away. She cleared her throat as such memories that'd once been nothing more than that began to invade her mind again.

It'd taken her two years after leaving her grandfather to push such thoughts into the back of her mind and lock them away, but now that she was back once more, they were beginning to resurface.

The men stared after her as she continued on, each keeping to their own thoughts on the matter.

They continued on then for the next few hours in complete silence, having finally reached the top of the mountain. The sky was now pitch-black; the fog had lightened in the moon's glow and had a haunting appeal to it. One that made even Kakuzu shiver when he stared at it long enough, thinking of what could be hiding around the corner.

They entered a small clearing upon the mountain head and there, just as Shinko had said there would be, a small stream washed through and spilled off over the edge and down along the side of the mountain to the dead forest below.

In the clearing, there was only a couple of dead trees, no shelter whatsoever, yet the Dhampir promised them that it rarely rained so far inland so they'd have no fear of getting drenched throughout the night.

They soon unpacked and settled down for the night, huddled close to each other in their separate sleeping bags.

For the next three days, all was relatively calm and they stuck to their routine of getting up, having a quick meal and then walking all throughout the day, only stopping briefly in the afternoon for another snack and a drink, before finally stopping late into the evening for food and rest.

Hidan and Kakuzu were pleased with how the journey had pretty much gone to plan with little time to waste. Luckily, there'd been very few delays and they'd even surprised themselves at how much ground they'd covered in such little time.

But Shinko was restless, upon the sixth day her unease was beginning to show and this confused and secretly concerned her companions.

For much of the day, she'd been silent, her eyes; narrowed and calculating as her head kept moving from side-to-side every few moments. She sometimes paused in her steps, this made Kakuzu and Hidan hesitate each time and they'd hold their breaths waiting for the signal to ready themselves for attack.

Yet-each time-nothing would happen and Shinko would continue on, giving them the all-clear to follow.

It was by late afternoon that Kakuzu had finally gotten fed-up.

"Is there a reason for your unease and constant pausing or are you just sight-seeing?"

They had stopped for a short break and like always, Shinko would stand a little away from them and stare into the distance, listening out for danger. She'd become something like a guard dog to them and would rarely sit down or rest.

Although Vampire's could go without rest for days and food for up to a couple of weeks, that didn't mean they couldn't get run-down. Only at night when she was certain they were safe would she actually settle down and relax.

For now they'd managed to find a deserted and dry cave which offered them shelter to the surprisingly frigid air.

Shinko remained at the entrance, once again staring out into the distance, always on-guard and watching. She didn't even make any acknowledgment that she'd heard the question.

"Oi Shinko, why are you so worked up, huh? Come and sit down, babe," Hidan called softly from where he was sat, nibbling on one of those many dry crackers that he loathed.

"No, thank you," she replied pleasantly, though her expression remained stony.

"And why not? You do realise that you're just exhausting yourself unnecessarily?" Kakuzu spoke up once more, acting as the voice of reason.

Once again, she remained silent.

This time, Hidan got to his feet, leaving his scythe lying where it was against the cave wall and walked up behind her, carefully placing a hand upon her shoulder.

The contact made her flinch and Hidan retracted his hand immediately, feeling slightly hurt that she would be almost afraid of his touch.

"What is it?" He murmured to her, trying to keep the hurt from his voice.

Shinko blinked tired eyes from the fog up to him, she stared at him for many moments, almost analysing his face completely, before motioning him and Kakuzu to follow.

Both males reluctantly trailed after her, each wandering a short distance away from the cave so that it was still in their sights before they stopped in front of a large black tree. There, Shinko pointed at a strange carving of what looked to be a leaf within a circle upon its bark.

"What the fuck is that?" Hidan asked in confusion, having never seen the marking before, much less on a tree.

Shinko sighed "It's the 'Youchi' clan's symbol; they carve it into trees, ground and draw it on stone whenever they're on hunts or travelling. It lets them know where they've already been and is a sign for others that they're patrolling the area."

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed "We haven't seen or heard anything since we got here, that could be an old marking."

The Dhampir shook her head "It is true that we haven't heard anything, but they are skilled in tracking and hunting their prey, they've learnt how to blend in with their surroundings and become silent. And that marking is fresh."

"How do you know for sure?" Kakuzu questioned, looking sceptical.

"Because whilst hunting for dinner last night, I found fresh footprints that belonged to a group of four humans," Shinko gave them a both a look that she knew something that they hadn't already figured out.

"So wait...you mean we're being fucking stalked? Again?!" Hidan whined, rolling his eyes skywards.

"For now, no, they seem to be unaware of our presence, I haven't sensed or heard them about us. I've been hiding out trail so far. No doubt they're hunting Werewolves," she snorted "the fools, like they think they can change this land; it's cursed."

"And you say there are four of them?" Kakuzu felt the pieces to the puzzle were falling into place.

Shinko nodded "Yes, it's a strong possibility that they're the same four of the previous five that came after me months ago."

Hidan's eyes widened in disbelief, whilst Kakuzu lifted a hand to his brow, massaging it, as if trying to persuade the problem-and the possible on coming headache away.

"H-how the bleeding hell did they find us all the fucking way out here?!" The Jashinist screeched, causing Shinko to place a firm, cool hand over his mouth.

"Shush! If you know what's good for you, then be quiet!" She hissed, giving him a hard glare that promised punishment should he disobey again.

He nodded hesitantly and she removed her hand.

"If we're lucky then they won't find us at all."

"How the fuck will we do _that_ when we don't even know where the bloody shits are?" Hidan asked, placing one hand on his hip as if to prove a point.

Shinko shrugged "We'll just have to be extra-careful and sneaky, as long as we continue to stay silent and cover our tracks, then they won't find us. We can seek refuge in Tadashii's home; he knows us and will willingly open his doors and give us protection. Trust me; he'll be our trump card."

Kakuzu gave an unconvinced 'humph' before grumbling "That's if we get there in one piece."

**/*\*/*\**

That evening they moved far away from the cave and each made more of an effort to cover their tracks and leave any and all traces of their presence behind them. This included footprints, food, remains of fires and possible bodily waste.

They couldn't afford to be spotted by the Demon Hunters anytime soon, not when they're so close to reaching the end of their long journey.

Shinko soon found a crevice of sorts to rest within, it was deserted and once again dry.

Whilst Hidan and Kakuzu got out some rabbit they'd been extremely fortunate in catching, Shinko went off to gather fire wood and also brought back a large piece of fallen bark to use as a door to shield the light of the fire and smell of food from the outside.

The wind had picked up within the last hour, the fog was clearing a little, yet a hazy mist remained settled over the ground.

The trio didn't like it, standing outside they felt exposed as if they could be seen from a mile off into the distance and perhaps they could, which is why they chose to hide away instead of sleeping out on the cold ground.

Once the fire was lit and the rabbit was cooking, the mood picked up a little, Hidan and Kakuzu were partaking in a little banter which was-for once-harmless in comparison to the usual violence that occurred with their explosive tempers.

Shinko remained seated by the now sealed entrance and allowed her eyes to drift shut in order to conserve _some_ of her energy, meanwhile keeping an ear out for any movement.

After the men had eaten, they decided to get to bed early and have an earlier start the next morning. With the potential unwanted company of the Demon Hunter's, they couldn't afford to be careless and would need to move on quickly to avoid confrontation with the bothersome pests.

They each slept fitfully, that is, until the early hours of the seventh morning when a monstrous howl cut through the usual silence, startling them awake.

Their eyes darted about themselves, for a moment panicking that a monster of sorts had found them. But it was Shinko that was on her feet within seconds, despite how tired and cranky she is when awoken abruptly and too early, desperate times called for one to be extra-alert of their surroundings.

"What the fuck was _that_?" Hidan whispered, although he was clearly annoyed, there was a slight distinctive note of underlying fear in it as well.

Shinko soundlessly moved towards the entrance and exit of the crevice, she pressed her ear against the make-shift door and listened out for any sounds that indicated the monster was outside, yet for many minutes she heard nothing.

Feeling brave yet incredibly cautious, she shifted the bark carefully to one side to reveal a small gap just enough to peek out of.

The sky and forest was still dark, the mist had lessened further, giving her the chance to see further afield, but she couldn't see anything _ahead_ of them. All looked as it had done before they'd entered the crevice the evening before.

"Shinko?" Kakuzu called quietly, barely noticing the outline of her figure by the entrance and wondering whether she needed any assistance.

"I'm here, stay where you are," she replied equally quiet, her now bright blue eyes darting about, trying to catch the slightest glimpse of movement outside, but found none aside from the chilly breeze making the dead branches sway a little.

Another howl-this time more distant than the one prior echoed around them and Shinko sighed in relief.

"The Werewolf has moved on, luckily it hasn't caught onto our scent and there's no way I'm going out there to make sure it's gone." The Dhampir stated firmly.

She may be brave, but she wasn't stupid.

"You sound afraid," Kakuzu commented, now wide awake, he doubted he'd be able to fall asleep again after such an unwelcome wake up call.

"And with good reason. They're incredibly resilient and dangerous; I would rather face the Demon Hunter's than _them_."

"You can't be bloody serious?" Hidan exclaimed in surprise, hardly believing his ears at such an admission for the small group from the Youchi clan months prior had been nothing short of relentless in their hunt.

"Trust me, hun, you'd think the same if you knew what they're capable of," Shinko replied, before sighing tiredly, her adrenaline rush withering away now that the danger had passed.

"I'll keep watch, you both get some sleep, I'll wake you at sunrise." The Dhampir spoke firmly, leaving no room for argument, though Hidan did try, especially when another faint howl was heard. She waved off his concern and stated that once they're at Tadashii's dwelling, she could rest as much as she liked then.

In fact, they all could.

* * *

**A/N: Phew! That was certainly challenging, please forgive me if this seems a little choppy or rushed, most of these chapters of the actual journey to Demon country (and through it) was skipped and only briefly explained in the original, so all of this is completely new! Aren't you lucky? :P Anywho, please do let me know what you think!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	36. Lost and Found

**A/N: Well, I have to say that I'm really disappointed that NO ONE reviewed on my last chapter, would've been nice to have at least one person to tell me how I did since that chapter was done from scratch with no layout like most of these. Not sure why I'm bothering with this story to be honest, but I guess I want it finished because I like to complete my stories, no matter how long it takes me. Also, I'm aware that Shinko may be rather Mary-Sue(ish) but do you guys honestly think I care at this point in the story? I'm trying NOT to make her that way, but I can't help it if she comes across like that. Once I start typing, I can't stop, lol.**

**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story; I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, Arata, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense.

* * *

**Part Thirty-Six: Lost and Found**

The distinct pitter-patter of Shinko's boots made little to no noise amidst the fog due to her heightened speed, it'd always been considered a gift of sorts to her as it'd enabled to sneak upon her prey more easily.

It'd only been that morning that she, Hidan and Kakuzu had stepped into the last mile of Demon country that rested beyond the great sea that separates the five large countries.

Now that they were closing in on the borders of Void country it was in the confines of Shinko's mind that made her ultra-aware of how dangerous it was to even step onto the mystical land, but then, there was also a sense of belonging and homeliness that she didn't even feel when travelling with her peers elsewhere.

She was finally going home after all these years and she had so many tales to tell her grandfather, he'd be so delighted to see that she'd grown into such a strong and independent woman without having to rely heavily upon others.

She just sincerely hoped that Tadashii would accept Hidan into the family, but she had no doubt in her mind that he would, after all, why would he allow her to mingle with the humans otherwise?

Of course, she never told them that she'd felt more at home since getting closer to Void country, she knew it would probably hurt them to know of her thoughts after they'd practically helped raise her for the last four years. And so, she kept it to herself as they'd walked quietly; even Hidan was obediently silent.

And yet, somehow-_somehow_ they'd gotten split up during their travels.

It'd been late morning on the eighth day that Shinko had gone ahead to scope out the area, telling them to remain where they were until she returned.

After ten minutes, she'd ventured back to the same spot where they'd been sat previously, yet they weren't present.

She'd tried sensing them, but she couldn't feel their chakra or the pulse of their still-beating hearts which immediately panicked her, if she couldn't sense their heartbeats, then that could only mean one other thing and she _really_ didn't want to think or deal with that at the time.

She tried sniffing them out, hoping that their scent would lead her straight to them, but to no avail, their scent had completely vanished. She tried in all directions but still she couldn't smell them; it also didn't help that she couldn't _see_ through the ever-growing thick fog and she didn't dare call out to them just in case she were to alert unwanted attention.

And yet, that was her only option, or was it?

There had been something she'd been working on for a while and wasn't sure if it would help given the unknown distance between them, but she had to try!

She closed her eyes-something which in normal circumstances was not such a great idea, considering the Werewolves and possibly the Demon hunter's roaming the area, however, her eyes were practically useless in the fog and knew instinctively that she had to rely on her other senses to get her through the country.

She focused on Kakuzu first, knowing that if a random voice-or rather _her_ voice were to enter his mind, then he wouldn't be so outspoken about it, or at least not as loud as Hidan.

It took some minutes and focusing entirely on Kakuzu wasn't so hard, but it certainly didn't help when she was worried for the safety of her mate.

'Kakuzu? Can you hear me?' She pushed the thoughts out, feeling a slight drip of sweat roll down her temple due to the vast concentration she was exerting, due to the fact that this wasn't a complete ability. She knew it would drain her more quickly than it would if she'd already attained it, much like with her ability to read minds and numb or paralyze a victim's body just by looking into their eyes.

Only it was in this moment, did she realize that although she was capable of sending her thoughts, she hadn't practiced or gained enough experience to _receive_ thoughts in return, which meant she was pretty much screwed over.

'If you _can_ hear me, it is me; Shinko, I don't have much time, this ability to talk telepathically is limited, I am safe…for now, but we somehow got split up. I need you to meet me at Tadashii's castle, understand? Do _not_ come looking for me, you'll only get yourselves lost and to be honest, I don't think this fog is natural, I can't sense and smell either you or Hidan. Be on your guards, there's definitely something out here. I'll try and contact you both later, but this drains my energy and I can't hear your thoughts. Shinko-out.'

She broke the connection and her entire body sagged for a moment, a long sigh escaping her lips, she wiped her brow with a shaky hand.

Clearing her throat, she decided to go with the plan and meet them there, if she wasted her time searching for them, she'd either get herself lost or even worse-walk straight into a trap.

Luckily for Shinko, she pretty much knew her away around most of the land surrounding Tadashii's castle, she'd revised the outlay many times when she was younger, when she used to go hunting with her grandfather, but that had been a long time ago. She was going by memory alone, yet that might not be enough.

For the next half an hour, Shinko took to walking and fell into her thoughts, but kept an ear for any sign of trouble, so far there was none, but she was not taking any chances.

The heady scent of smoke mixed with some type of incense burned her nose and she knew her suspicions had been proven correct all along.

Someone was conducting the fog, of course she could bend the fog to her will; clear the area of it, yet somehow she was being prevented from doing so which was why she hadn't done so in the first instant of stepping on land.

Whoever was controlling the fog was old and experienced and had to be of Vampire blood, which was odd considering that Vampire's had gone into hiding centuries ago.

Although the land was usually foggy, it was rare for it to become so thick, whichever Vampire it was, he or she was being incredibly reckless, Demon Hunter's and Werewolves patrol the area and would sniff out any source of their next prey.

Shinko decided that the only Vampire that could be powerful enough was Tadashii himself.

Her heart would've skipped a beat if she were living and she couldn't help but smile tenderly at the memory of her grandpa; she'd longed to see him for the past four years, now she was getting her chance.

Although she was uncertain as to why he would blatantly show off his abilities needlessly when he knew of the risks, she figured that he may well already know of her presence upon the land and was lying in wait for her to come to him. He was no doubt using the fog as a way to keep an eye on her movements.

Eventually, she came across the much thicker, dead forest that populated the entire Land of Void, here; in the heart of all chaos was where Tadashii was waiting.

Without any hesitation, Shinko took to the trees and jumped along the branches of the dead, black trees as quietly as she could, occasionally sniffing the air, though she knew at this point it was futile, whoever was controlling the fog, was making it so that she couldn't use her sense of smell and possibly her psychic connection to those closest to her had been rendered useless. All that she had left was her hearing and even that was limited.

Shinko growled low in her throat, she could barely see past a few meters, she was lucky enough to be landing upright in the trees considering that the fog stuck to her like glue, if anything it had thickened considerably.

The fog held an eerie glow to it, as though its mere matter was alight with pure energy, it made Shinko bare her fangs at it in a short hiss, no doubt about it, the fog was weakening her, this was definitely _not_ the work of her grandfather, as soon as the fog would touch her, the conductor to the fog-jutsu would be aware of who'd entered the moist cloud and would be able to monitor their prey's progress and direction.

So, if Tadashii was the one behind the jutsu, then why hadn't he called it off yet? Or even stopped the jutsu for taking affect of her?

So many unanswered questions almost made it impossible to understand the situation she'd gotten herself into, what was certain was that she'd definitely be having words with her grandfather when she saw him.

Shinko halted suddenly at a speedy stop upon a branch of a tree, when she heard a piercing howl vibrate the air, it echoed and carried off into the dark night sky that was the only thing she was able to see clearly up above herself, apart from a few trees literally a few centimeters away from herself.

Fear struck her cold heart, for despite everything else that could possibly scare her, only Werewolves dug deep into her fears, for only a Werewolf had the ability and power to kill a Vampire.

The 'Gekkou' clan was known to have the ability to shift into a Werewolf state or form whenever they wished too, and because of this, Vampires and Dhampir's alike became wary and frightened of their power.

Werewolves were by no means controlled animals, they were starving beasts, the Werewolf host wouldn't even recognize friend or foe in their _other_ form, but that wasn't what scared her frigid.

Werewolf blood should never enter inside a Vampire's body, to a Vampire; Werewolves blood _burned_ them very much like acid, whereas Vampire blood _poisoned_ Werewolves should they so much as have one taste.

It was complicated, but each race had a defense mechanism that they were born with.

Should a Werewolf be dumb enough to attack a Vampire, the blood of said Vampire would poison its attacker, so even if the Vampire died, the Werewolf would surely follow despite its usual extreme healing abilities.

Werewolves were definitely worse than Demon Hunter's.

The mindless beasts were incredibly sneaky, they picked a prey and chased it until it'd killed and feasted upon it, whereas Demon Hunter's were more open about their intentions and attacks.

Shinko felt a shudder move through her stiff body as she then heard another howl and another echo all around her, as if it were a chorus.

That made three.

She held her breath as her eyes widened considerably in fright.

Shinko had _three_ Werewolves in the vicinity, they were standing between her and Tadashii's dwelling, there was no way around it and she especially didn't want to have Werewolves tagging along behind her when she would finally be reunited with her grandpa.

It all seemed impossible.

Shinko let out a shaky sigh, she stared up at the sky, watching the moon, she wondered for a brief moment how Hidan and Kakuzu were holding up, surely they must be nearing the mansion now?

If her heart had been beating it would've stopped dead at that moment.

Oh dear God, if they were coming towards Tadashii's home, then that meant their lives would be in danger, it would only take _one_ little scratch from a Werewolf to make Hidan and Kakuzu turn into an exact copy of the beast and if they were incredibly unlucky, they'd never be able to turn back to their human forms.

No, she couldn't let that happen, she wouldn't!

She hadn't been fighting to stay alive all this time just to have the ones she cared about most be ripped away from her, she'd rather die than let that happen.

It no longer mattered how petrified she was of these monsters, she needed to push that to the back of her mind and destroy the beasts before they destroy her future.

But she needed a plan; she couldn't just go rampaging in there without thinking of a few ways to kill them.

In that split second she heard something flying through the air, wind brushing against metal, her head jerked up and she jumped up high into the sky, twisting her body round as she heard and just managed to spot the five-bladed boomerang that belonged to none other than Henshin Youchi imbed itself into the tree where she had been mere moments before.

Shinko landed on a branch a few trees away from where she originally was, she took in a deep breath and calmed herself at how easily they'd managed to catch her off-guard, they had indeed been going easy on her before, now it seemed they were getting serious.

Ever since arriving in Demon country she'd been aware of other presences, she'd realised that her and her peers had been walking upon a knifes edge when it came to concealing themselves.

However, it seemed that they must've at least caught onto her tracks and not her companions.

Shinko growled to herself, she hadn't meant to draw so much attention to herself, her biggest worry at the moment were the Werewolves, she needed to get rid of them before they picked up on Hidan and Kakuzu's scent.

The last thing she needed would be another distraction.

But maybe…this could work to her advantage.

A howl from the Werewolves broke her from her thoughts and she realised with rising panic and adrenaline that the beasts were closing in around them.

The fog cleared slightly as the Demon Hunters stood opposite her, she'd barely noticed the heavy presence on the fog had disappeared; this had given the Hunter's the perfect opportunity to shift the fog away from them so that they could see where they were going.

This also meant that the Werewolves would have better chances of catching their scents.

They were all glaring at her; she could tell that their anger from Shuiro Youchi's death had not abated in the slightest.

Shinko stared back at them, her eyes bright blue once more, trying desperately to reign in her annoyance.

Henshin jumped over to the tree she'd been originally perched on and ripped his lethal boomerang out of its trunk, he turned to face her and holding the boomerang towards her, he stated "I am Henshin Youchi, a Demon Hunter, tonight I will be one of your executioners, you've injured two of our own and killed a former member of ours and my lover. You will suffer a worse death than hers; it is only what you deserve."

The girl with fuchsia hair, whom she remembered was Henshin's younger sister, took out her sword as she too pointed it at Shinko and snapped "You gave me cuts and bruises and drained me of all energy and chakra, I couldn't move or eat for four days straight, I'm going to do a lot worse to you, you Vampire-bitch!"

"Enough. Don't forget what we're here for, watch yourselves, we have company." Mogoi commanded from next to Ao, looking ever more like the commanding leader than he had the first time.

He thrust his arm outwards and shouted out his orders "Henshin, Hiebei, Ao kill the Werewolves, I will see to this one."

"Mogoi, I want to fight this one as well. I have been longing for a strong opponent for a _very _long time." Ao stated in a dark murmur, his voice almost pleading as his eyes met that of his incestual lover.

Mogoi looked between Ao and the others, it seemed they all wanted a bit of the Dhampir, yet there was the matter of the Werewolves, they also couldn't be left to roam around freely.

Mogoi relented, nodding at Ao, making Henshin and Hiebei's eyes widen in disbelief and fury.

"Very well, Ao, you may kill her, but I want to join in before you finish her off, understand?"

Ao nodded in agreement; this seemed to satisfy Mogoi some, for he turned to the other two and commanded "Let's go!"

They took off into the fog, leaving Shinko alone with Ao.

"Are you going to give me a long-winded speech about how you're going to _avenge_ your comrade?" Shinko rolled her eyes in slight annoyance, noticing that her plan was going as she wished; she didn't even need to worry about the Werewolves for now.

The Hunter's will do all the work for her and then once she'd finished up here, she'd be on her merry way to see her grandpa.

"No. Fight me." Ao stated as he drew his long katana.

Shinko shrugged, rolling her shoulders a few times each before shifting her hands into claws.

They both jumped up high into the air almost at the same moment, blade met claws, as they tested to see which would prevail.

They both rebounded off each other from impact, once their feet touched the branches; they once again jumped up and met each other in a battle to see who'd slip-up first.

Shinko was secretly impressed at his increased strength, the last time they'd met, she hadn't had the opportunity to test his skills, but now that she had, she was starting to understand why Mogoi held him in such high regard.

Shinko landed down upon normal ground, Ao swiftly followed her, Shinko quickly jumped at him, he swiped his blade up, attempting to cut her in half, though she somehow dodged it completely by moving to the left, he swung his blade to the left, following her, aiming to cut her head off.

Shinko dodged it by ducking low and kicking out her legs aiming to trip him up, Ao jumped back from her to his right, determined to make some room so that she didn't gain the upper hand.

Shinko followed him, fangs bared, she raised her left claw to scratch him across his face, except he lifted his sword aiming to stab her through the stomach, instead her left claw grabbed the sword, holding it in a strong grip that Ao couldn't comprehend.

He wriggled and found that it was impossible to remove his blade from her iron grip; such was the amazing yet terrifying abilities of the undead.

He was impressed by her sheer strength, but that didn't stop him from wanting to kill her, whether Mogoi was there or not.

Shinko swung her right claws down, aiming to scratch him, but because Ao shifted away from her a little-unwilling to lose his katana, she managed to leave five long, shallow cuts across his left arm.

Blood seeped out of the wounds quickly, seeing this, Shinko felt rather pleased she'd landed a hit on him and let go of his sword, allowing him to move away from her.

Ao took a couple of deep breaths before he charged at Shinko, determined to stab her through the gut.

Instead of waiting for him to move closer, Shinko did hand-signs and from her palm came Chidori, she held it to her side as she took what she hoped to be the final plunge.

Ao noticed the jutsu and used one of his own, it was a jutsu only known to the Youchi clan, but it could only be used with a sword.

His blade emanated a green glow, Chidori met the shining, green blade and a piercing white light broke out from the contact.

Two screams broke out from the light.

It all happened within a few seconds, for almost immediately afterwards, the dust settled and the fog cleared slightly.

Shinko lay sprawled on the floor, she was burned all down her right side and she was in absolute agony.

The smell of her burnt flesh made her stomach heave a little in shock of the pain and in protest, though held it back with the thought that she would eventually heal.

Behind her, Ao was also laid on the floor, he had scratches along his whole body that bled shallowly and his muscles felt numb, he also couldn't see clearly, his eyes were blurred from the light that'd emitted from their attacks clashing together like two warring Gods.

Shinko took in many deep breaths, she didn't know if she could move, she was in a very dangerous position, she needed to get up and move as soon as possible.

She had to_ move_, Hidan and Kakuzu were counting on her, her future depended on her resilience and she would not die before seeing her grandfather for one last time.

"Dammit…Hidan…" Shinko muttered helplessly, staring off into the fog, wishing he was with her, she longed to be held in his arms again, to laugh and argue with him as if nothing else mattered.

Though that would only ever happen again if she fought back and triumphed, that meant she had to get up and fight and fight until she was positive her safety and that of Hidan's and Kakuzu's would not be in any threat what so ever.

Ao somehow managed to sit up, he hissed through gritted teeth as he moved each part of his body, wanting-no, _needing_ to stand up and finish this battle they'd started.

He would not let down his love, Mogoi was counting on him to win and he planned to do so.

He watched the Dhampir with a glare, knowing that she'd probably come out worse than he had in that attack and this was his advantage.

He blinked once to rid himself of his blurry eyesight and found to his amazement that she was gone, she'd disappeared from his view almost as if she'd never been there in the first place.

He panicked slightly, but reminded himself to remain calm lest he wanted to create mistakes, he took in a deep breath and painfully looked about himself, searching for her, but strangely not finding her anywhere.

She couldn't have recovered_ that_ quickly…could she?

The question flittered across his mind, but as soon as he looked into his blade he saw her reflection of her from behind himself.

He let out a gasp, jumping up and twisting round to meet her head-on.

He suddenly felt pain rushing through his body as it protested to the sudden movement, though luckily managed to dodge her fist that smacked down where he was originally sat, a crater formed where her fist was.

Ao stood glaring at her, however his eyes widened when he noticed her burnt skin, just from one look he could tell it was painful, it appeared that she was struggling as much as he was in this battle.

Her skin was red raw with blisters already fully formed, if she were human, she wouldn't be able to move and would be unconscious from shock and agony-possibly on her way to Death's doors, yet here she was, moving albeit with a little difficulty but still fully awake and alert nonetheless.

He raised his sword and standing up straight, he charged at her once more, Shinko stared at him, taking in deep breaths, she pushed herself back from him, determined to not be stabbed like she had been before with Shuiro's arrow.

In this case, she couldn't be certain if the katana had holy water smeared on it or not.

With her hands still formed as claws, she twisted round, punching her clawed-fist into a nearby dead tree, she ripped it from the ground. Holding it above her head with both hands, she twisted round and whacked the huge, thick tree into Ao's side, he let out a loud grunt from the sudden impact that left him speechless since he hadn't seen it coming. She'd been too fast for him.

Shinko watched him fly across from her before hitting into another tree behind him, a short pained shout escaped from his lips as his body slumped forwards and he crumpled to the floor in a heap.

Ao's senses came back to him slowly and he attempted to move after a few moments of lying on the ground, though it was impossible.

He felt-rather than saw that his right arm was completely smashed to pieces; he let out a low groan of pain, wishing he'd seen her attack in time to dodge it, but it'd happened so fast that it'd all been a blur to him.

Shinko rested the huge tree on her right shoulder idly, as she walked over to him slowly, she saw blood coming from a huge gash on his arm, she also noticed that his right arm was completely useless, meaning that she'd won the battle.

She stared down at him with glowing blue eyes, his own piercing green ones glared back at her, they were full of pain, she watched him struggle and fidget as he tried desperately to move, to get up, but was failing to do so.

Shinko watched him for a moment, "You should've killed me when you had the chance before. Why didn't you use your clan's special jutsu?"

"I don't waste it on scum like you. You will all die someday, rot and return to the hell you're spawned from." Ao spat at her, causing her eyes to narrow at him.

"You cannot get rid of my kind so easily; you're all wasting your time, pathetic humans. It matters not anymore, especially since you'll never fight again with that arm; I think I shall put an end to your suffering now." Shinko muttered as she stepped back slightly, she watched his face turn to shock as she raised the tree ready to slam it down and crush his body, what took her by surprise at that moment, was that she heard her name being called.

Shinko looked over to her left and through the fog she saw two figures, as they came nearer her eyes widened as she recognized them instantly.

Hidan and Kakuzu were here, but how they'd found her was anyone's guess (though she gathered it had something to do with how loud her battle had been) and she was surprised that they'd avoided the Werewolves.

Relief was instantaneous and she almost forgot about Ao lying on the ground before her.

As they came into view, Shinko saw their faces full of terror and concern, she was about to drop the tree to run to them and demand what was wrong until Kakuzu shouted "Shinko, behind you!"

At the command, Shinko whirled round, she swung the tree round with her and to her utter shock she found it was a Werewolf, though this was not just any Werewolf, this one was huge and it's fur was a shade of dark brown, it must've killed one of the others or escaped from them and came over to the fight between herself and Ao.

No doubt it'd heard their battle and had smelt Ao's blood.

Shinko aimed to crush the Werewolf, but because it wasn't a human like herself, it saw her attack and jumped up high into the air, towards her, its claws ready to strike her across the chest.

Shinko jumped back from its path, immediately dropping the tree, deciding to not waste her energy by holding onto it, she just barely missed its attack by mere inches.

Her feet landed onto normal ground, adrenaline rushing through her as well as pure fright, she'd never fought a Werewolf before and would certainly have never picked a fight with one as large as this. It must be the Alpha of his pack.

Within a second the Werewolf was in front of her, she gasped, her eyes going wide from shock-only realising that it was somehow a little faster than her!

She could hear Hidan calling her name, but she paid no heed, she couldn't afford any distractions, her plan had failed and she needed to kill it or at the very least get it away from them.

It opened its jaws wide and let out a piercing howl aiming to intimidate its prey.

Shinko backed away from it as it followed her, it launched towards her and once again had its claws ready to strike, Shinko saw this and quickly did hand-signs.

She used the 'Dragon Flame jutsu', sending masses upon masses of fire at the werewolf, in the midst of the crackling heat of the amber flames she heard it's howls of pain, still she ignored it, determined to also ignore the pain running through her entire right side that was burnt and finish the jutsu.

She straightened once she was done, gasping a little as she regained her breath, she watched the fire for some moments and found no movement or noise signaling it was still alive over the roar of the flames.

She limped away calmly from the crackling flames towards Hidan and Kakuzu that stood there staring at her in awe.

"You both shouldn't be here, it's too dangerous, you have no idea what you're getting yourselves into!" Shinko snapped at them angrily, it was a good thing she had control of the situation or else it could've gotten nasty real quick.

Judging by Hidan's frown and Kakuzu's unhappy stare, they didn't know how lucky they were that she was able to get rid of at least one Werewolf; they certainly were not the easiest creatures to kill at least that's what her grandfather had told her.

Even he had been willing to admit that Werewolves were one of his deepest fears; apparently he'd fought only a handful during his long, long life and had come away with ugly scars that'd been hidden beneath rich clothing.

He'd told her that there'd been many times he'd come close to death where the raging, mindless beasts were concerned. And this, coming from an ancient Vampire that was many millennia years of age and an experienced fighter often gave her nightmares as a child.

"A simple fucking 'thank you' would be great; we just saved your fucking life!" Hidan snarled at her, his frustration getting the better of him.

However, his anger died away swiftly when his gaze landed on her burnt skin, it was red and looked very painful, he reached out to touch her cheek gently; once he did so she flinched away from him and hissed.

"What the hell happened to you?" Kakuzu demanded in a deep voice, his eyes narrowing at her burned skin as well, trying to make out the cause of it.

"I was burned, it will heal." Shinko muttered calmly, she didn't want them to feel that she was ungrateful for them saving her, she just didn't want them to get involved, she didn't want them to get hurt.

"Heh, don't be so sure of yourself! You do realise there are more of those things out there? This country is full of them and us, you'll be lucky to survive tonight." Ao called from where he was now kneeling, he was glaring at them but also wore a sick smirk across his face.

"Shut the fuck up! She could've let you get killed by that shitting wolf-thing, show a little fucking respect arse-hole!" Hidan shouted at the injured man, giving him a hard glare that promised a good beating if he so much as raised that sword of his at Shinko once more.

Shinko ignored their bickering and upon feeling a wave of nausea, she moaned slightly, swaying a little, she moved over and leaned onto Hidan's arm causing him to stop mid-sentence in his spewing of harsh words and more threats to the Demon Hunter that Hidan suddenly recognised.

Hidan stared down at Shinko with a curious gaze, placed an arm around her and asked "Will you be alright?"

"You have eyes idiot, use them." Kakuzu growled, glaring at his partner thinking the answer to be pretty damn obvious.

Hidan was about to snap a retort back at him, when a noise came from the now dying flames, it caught all their attentions, including Ao's, Hidan felt Shinko stiffen against him, he wondered if it was from shock or pain.

However, he realised that was not the case, for what they saw next should've been impossible.

The Werewolf that was supposedly incinerated by Shinko's fire jutsu was suddenly alive and moving freely once more.

It was growling and climbing out slowly from the ditch where the flames had produced, its eyes glowed bright yellow, its glare was menacing, it bared its teeth at them all, though due to its full body burns, it'd no doubt be slower than before.

Shinko looked round slowly; her worst fears were coming to life.

She thought she'd killed it! That jutsu was one of her strongest yet along with her lightning techniques, obviously that hadn't been enough.

Suddenly, she remembered Tadashii mentioning using its one weakness against it to gain the upper-hand.

Silver.

"Go on then _Demon_, go and fight to your death like a good little Dhampir, now you will get a taste of what it's like to be hunted, are you scared? You _should_ be!" Ao taunted, he was still kneeling in his little ditch, his good arm holding onto the handle of his katana, using it to keep himself upright and smirked as he watched the many different emotions spread across his face.

Ao was feeling bitter about his defeat, but there was no way he wasn't going to make the most of this, if taunting was the only way to get some semblance of his pride back, then he'd shout until his lower jaw drops off.

"What the fuck is he spouting now?!" Hidan groaned in confusion, as he looked from Ao to the Werewolf and then to Shinko's panic-stricken yet stiff form.

"Is there something you need to tell us Shinko?" Kakuzu glanced at her with questioning eyes.

Shinko lowered her gaze slightly realizing she _had_ to tell them, she had no choice, but she also had to get them to safety, for they didn't know the risks of what would happen if they were bitten or scratched by a Werewolf…

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**A/N: Finally things are starting to pick up in pace, we're finally coming towards the end of the story, not far to go now, maybe just 5-10 more chapters now and yes, I am aware I said the same thing about 15 chapters back, haha! But this time I really mean it XD**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	37. Battle Finale

**A/N: Here's the next installment, it's 15 fucking pages long, so I hope you all like it (and review-teehee!), I was a little delayed in updating this because a couple of weeks ago my laptop broke, so I took it to a shop to get fixed, but ended up having to buy a new one. It's really modern and I'm still trying to get used to the keypad DX But I finally managed to sit my butt down and finish typing this chapter :) Also, the title to this chapter? Meh, I dunno, I really couldn't think of anything creative, lol. **

**MANY THANKS TO; 'Guest' and 'ckb64' for your awesome reviews, I'm pleased to find you're both enjoying my story, I hope this chapter does it some justice! :D**

**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story; I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, Arata, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense.

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**Part Thirty-Seven: Battle Finale**

Shinko moved away from Hidan's embrace, standing almost in front of them, as if protecting them both from the penetrating gaze of the Werewolf that had miraculously managed to stay alive, even though it was hit with a powerful ninjutsu.

"Shinko, what the fuck is going on?!" Hidan snapped angrily, surprised that a beast could survive one of Shinko's strongest attacks and also worried, he'd noticed the fear in her eyes and for once, he actually felt a little fear penetrate him.

Shinko was never afraid of anything, in fact, she'd always been a realist in many ways, treating each battle as if they were her last, she never took anything lightly or for granted.

He watched as she heaved a long sigh and felt his worry growing with each passing minute, the way she was acting was completely out of character for her.

"You must leave now. If that Werewolf bites or even scratches you, you'll turn into one of them!" Shinko turned, rounding on them with a glassy stare; her eyes held a long withheld fright that almost gave her a crazy look.

It was a look that'd be seen on one facing death.

"O-one of them?" Kakuzu muttered, for once he was too stunned to actually try and reason with her that he and Hidan should help, his eyes never leaving the Werewolf as he watched the beast shake itself of soot slowly.

"Heh, yeah, we're all going to die here, you'll be the first Shinko Hoshi, you're a _monster_ like them and are in their territory so it hungers for _you_ the most." Ao called out with a pained, sick grin.

"If so, then I will take it with me." Shinko stated back on a hiss, her eyes glowing brighter, her hunting instincts were taking over once more.

"B-but what about you?" Hidan asked Shinko softly, having a good feeling that he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear.

"The only creature that can kill a Vampire is a Werewolf. I can't and wouldn't dream of draining that thing of its blood, if I did, it'd mean instant death, if it dealt me scratches I will be fine, but if it bit me then I'd die, whereas humans would change into one of them." Shinko explained calmly, turning away from them, keeping her back to them.

She didn't wish to see their expressions, the hurt in their eyes, the hollow look in Hidan's gaze, she wouldn't let them die, not whilst she still had breath in her body.

"There _were_ three out here," she added between gritted teeth, wondering what'd happened to the other two.

"So…we really can't help?" Kakuzu asked feeling helpless, an emotion he hadn't felt since he'd been a child and even then the memories of such a time were obscure.

"Exactly. Now get away from here, keep running. Don't come back, my grandfathers estate is bordered between the two countries; Void and Demon. Head there, if I'm not back by morning; assume the worst." Shinko murmured, feeling sad, she knew she might die, but if they left, she might have a chance, there'd be no distractions so she'd be able to go all-out in her attacks.

All the while, her gaze remained fixed on the Werewolf.

"We won't leave you! It took us two weeks to get here, we've been through so much shit and I'm not about to lose you to some fucking flea bag! So don't you bloody tell us to leave!" Hidan retorted, really disliking her calm attitude, he couldn't understand why she was so accepting of her possible death, did she no longer care about living anymore? Did she not understand that he couldn't exist without her by his side?

The uneasy feeling in his stomach intensified at the thought.

No, he couldn't lose her, there'd been so many times that he'd almost lost her, there's no way he'd stand-by and watch her throw her life away again.

"You don't understand!" Shinko looked at them over her, a wild look shining in her eyes "My parents-my father being one of the strongest Vampires, was torn apart by Werewolves. Our chance of survival is close to zero! I'm most likely to die here; I don't even know if there are other Werewolves out there, but I don't want you two to suffer the change. It's a painful process, you'll lose your senses and mind, you won't ever be able to recognize anyone you know and will kill anything and everything in your path. A bit like a new-born Vampire."

"That doesn't matter! Hidan and I promised Tadashii we'd look after you and I haven't put up with you and the idiot throughout all this time to have it suddenly thrown away!" Kakuzu growled darkly, he felt concerned that Shinko was going to do something irrational and that Hidan would blindly follow after her.

"Besides, you're half-human too! You're not a monster, not like them!" Kakuzu stated, as if hoping to somehow comfort her or change her opinion.

Shinko stared at them quietly, a tortured expression crossed her face, not saying anything, so many warring emotions were reflected in her bright eyes.

"Shinko…don't do this." Hidan begged, wishing for once that he was one of her kind, that way; she wouldn't have excuses for him to not fight by her side.

She turned away from him then and he felt his heart slowly shatter from within his chest.

"If you both were to change, then I'd be forced to kill you…if you haven't killed me already. I can't do that; I won't do it. You both are two of my most precious people; to lose you both…I would have no reason to exist."

"Shinko!" Hidan called to her in fright as she ran at the Werewolf head-on, his hands clenched together and he was going to follow after her until Kakuzu's arm latched onto his, holding him within a death grip; preventing him from moving another inch.

"Kakuzu! Let me go you fucking arsehole!" Hidan roared at him, but was held back.

"Shut the hell up Hidan! We can't possibly help her, if we go after her, we'd just get in her way. If she needs our assistance, we'll give it, until then; let them deal with each other. Don't throw your stupid immortal life away or do you want to see Shinko _cry_?" Kakuzu asked, his eyes watching Hidan's expression intently, only to see regret and hurt.

Kakuzu's grip on Hidan's arm lessened slightly, feeling lucky that he'd managed to control Hidan before he rushed off into danger, though he knew the Jashinist was far from grateful.

Ignoring this, he dragged Hidan towards and up into a tree nearby, where they could keep a close eye on the battle, both of them turning a blind eye to Ao who was struggling to keep himself sat up.

"Trust her, Hidan, pray to your God if it helps…in fact, we could use all the help we could get." Kakuzu murmured from beside the inconsolable albino male who regarded the battle with an empty stare.

**/*\*/*\**

Meanwhile, Shinko raised her clawed hand and scratched the Werewolf across the chest, it howled and rushed towards her, Shinko jumped back, the Werewolf followed her, she stopped, and raised her fist and sent a powerful punch under its chin, sending it flying in the air, Shinko jumped up, twisting in the air, she kicked at the Werewolf in the stomach and sent it flying to the ground below.

She landed gracefully on her feet, remaining fully alert, reminding herself that only she could stop it now.

Hidan and Kakuzu _could_ help, but she didn't wish to risk their humanity, Ao's arm was shattered and as far as Shinko knew the other Demon Hunters were still fighting the last two Werewolves.

Luckily with the fog dispersed as it was, it certainly made fighting the Werewolf easier.

Through the darkness Shinko could see the Werewolf's bright yellow eyes, as it got to its feet, the Werewolf reared up and let out an almighty roar, a wall of pure power burst from its body and hit against all in its path, Shinko felt the wall of invisible force smack against her, it sent her back a few steps and stole her breath.

She straightened her body into a stance as the Werewolf charged and was suddenly in front of her, it raised its claws and aimed to scratch down her chest, Shinko grabbed it's wrist, preventing it getting any further than a mere fraction to her body.

Shinko punched it's chest with as much force as she could muster, forcing the creature back a few steps before it jumped at her, teeth bared, Shinko bent low, twisting her body, she punched it upside the head, into the air once more, Shinko jumped up, grabbing it's legs she flipped them both in the air three times, increasing speed as she threw it down into the ground, falling upon the wind towards the beast, she raised her fist, sending chakra to it readying herself for the attack.

Once close enough, she gave the monster an almighty punch in the stomach, a crater formed underneath the Werewolf's body and bones cracked.

**/*\*/*\**

Hidan and Kakuzu stared amazed at the lengths she was going to in order to kill it, normally Shinko didn't need to do much to kill her opponent, but it seemed she was having great difficulty in killing this one in particular.

They could easily see the strain it was taking on her to keep up her speed and using her enhanced strength, but the Werewolf seemed to be brushing them off as if they were no more than mere bruises.

It baffled them that the creature could still _stand_ after all that Shinko had done to stop it, yet it kept getting back up.

"She's…fucking awesome!" Hidan let out a deep breath that he wasn't aware he was holding, his gaze fixated on her movements, it was like watching a hypnotic dance.

He hadn't even seen Shinko put so much effort into fighting an opponent before and it made him realise how beautiful and savage she truly was, despite her burns, she was still extremely appealing to him.

In fact, if her life weren't on the line, he'd actually be turned on by such a display of raw power.

**/*\*/*\**

Shinko struggled to maintain her posture, although she was still powerful, she was starting to tire slowly.

The entire journey had taken its toll on her physically and mentally, she'd also been badly injured on the way here, fighting Ao had also been a hindrance and now having to fight such a creature that she knew deep-down was stronger and faster than her was beginning to lose its appeal.

This pure-blooded beast was close to overwhelming her, it just wouldn't stay down, all of her physical attacks were just tapping it and her ninjutsu didn't seem to do much good either.

She took in a few deep breaths, aware it was still alive, barely, it reared up taking her by surprise and aimed to crush her neck in its jaws, Shinko grabbed it's throat with her other hand, holding it back, she stretched her arm down into her black boots, from one of them she produced a silver 30cm blade, it saw this and growled loudly at her.

Just as Shinko lowered the blade into its chest, where it's heart was, she felt it's claws slice down her right shoulder, near the neck and stopped a couple of centimeters away from her left breast.

"Shinko!" Hidan's bellow penetrated her thoughts briefly though quickly refocused her attention.

Shinko let out a cry, the blade sunk in its chest and it let out a loud howl, it eventually stilled in her strong grasp, signifying it was dead at last.

She'd been more than lucky to have remembered to have packed that blade made from silver.

Shinko watched as the dark brown Werewolf slowly shifted back into its male human-form.

The man that was originally the Werewolf had dark brown hair, the eyes that were half-closed were still a beautiful hazel in the darkness and he was naked.

Shinko looked away then, no longer interested in the corpse.

She hissed at her wound, pain searing through her chest, she knew that wound would take a little longer to heal; though felt increasingly lucky to still be alive.

She cast another glance at the naked man before she used her left hand and crushed the man's neck; the loud crack stirred the onlookers from their engrossed daze.

She sat down upon her butt near the man, no longer looking at him, her claws returned to their normal form and her hand reached up to her new wound, her burns were already starting to pale and would eventually disappear, she felt the cool oozing blood flow into her hand.

"Y-you killed it?!" Ao exclaimed in disbelief from where he was still kneeling, luckily he'd managed to stay out of the fight, though he hardly needed to, for the Werewolf had only been interested in slaughtering Shinko for entering its territory, which thankfully, it had not succeeded in doing.

She regained her lost breath and let out an annoyed sigh; she stood up slowly, then retorted "No need to thank me for saving your worthless hide!"

"So what are you going to do now? Kill me?" Ao asked quietly, his cold green glare fixated on her movements, watching her step over to the dead Gekkou clan member and pull the silver blade out of his heart; she wiped the blood off onto her black leather coat, before replacing it in her boot.

"I don't see why I should waste my time and energy on a piece of shit like you, though I suppose I could do with the extra-blood." Shinko wondered aloud, debating over whether it was wise to drink his blood whilst there was the possibility of other Werewolves roaming the area.

She decided to not risk it.

Shinko sighed once more, remembering that Hidan and Kakuzu were still near; she glanced over at them sat in the tree, both looking rather speechless.

She understood that they'd never seen a Werewolf out of the fog before and had also never seen how to kill one, maybe now they were finally grasping what would happen to them should they decide to _help_.

She was about to make her way over to them until she heard a shout coming from her right, she turned and was surprised to see the leader of the Demon Hunters jump through the trees and over towards where Shinko stood.

He paused, staring at her and she took the time to notice he had a couple of bruises upon his face and what looked to be a few cuts probably from the branches, his breathing was heavy as his dazzling green eyes locked with her bright blue ones.

"You-" Shinko started, but jumped back from Mogoi when he thrust his sword outwards, aiming to strike her in her mid-section.

"You are still the enemy as far as I'm concerned." He stated angrily, he moved towards Ao, almost shielding him protectively from her gaze.

Shinko glared at him, not at all liking the sudden hostility, although he may not know it, but she had just saved Ao's _life_ and the stupid ginger was sat there on the floor acting as if she hadn't done such a thing.

But her thoughts shifted to Mogoi, it seemed that something was wrong with him, where was the rest of his team-mates? They should've followed after him, he's their leader, so where were they? And why did he look so uneasy?

"They're dead. Your team-mates, aren't they?" Shinko asked calmly, realising why they hadn't followed after him.

Mogoi didn't answer; his gaze shifted to the floor, his sword lowered with his arm to his side.

She found this situation rather disturbing, wondering just exactly _how_ they'd died.

Shinko gasped after reading his mind, shocked at the conclusion.

"Y-you mean they've _changed_ as well?!" Shinko exclaimed at him, her worst nightmare was coming true, that meant they had more Werewolves to contend with.

"Henshin, Hiebei…they've been changed?!" Ao exclaimed in surprise, his mouth hung slightly open.

Mogoi nodded silently.

"Yes, there was nothing I could do for them. We killed one, but the other one, being female decided to get revenge for her mate that we'd killed and came at us still. We have no choice but to kill them now." Mogoi stated as he exhaled slowly, closing his tired eyes briefly.

"And what do you think that would accomplish? You'd both just get in my way; I killed one on my own, now thanks to your _help_ as you call it, there are now two more!" She hissed coldly, cursing everything out there at her failed plan.

**/*\*/*\**

"She's going to need our help eventually…" Kakuzu stated to Hidan quietly back in the trees, noting that the confrontation between Shinko and Mogoi was gradually escalating.

"Have you seen those fucking freaky monsters?! We won't be able to do anything; we're useless as shit getting involved." Hidan exclaimed from where he was sitting on the huge tree branch, his sudden change of heart surprised the older man.

"Yes, idiot, we _will_ help her, what are you? Afraid?" Kakuzu taunted as he shifted his weight and leaned back against the tree.

"N-no, just that what she said makes sense, we'd be getting in her way, besides, you saw how she handled that thing! She was amazing!" Hidan defended.

"Hmm, that may be true, but she's slowing down and hurt, aren't you at least a little concerned for her safety?" Kakuzu knew that would cut Hidan deep.

He knew that Hidan prided himself on being indestructible and it was damn obvious he cared for Shinko, though how she put up with the idiots outbursts, cursing and mood swings was beyond him.

Still, that's love for you.

"Of course I fucking care!" Hidan snarled, sending a peeved glare at Kakuzu, though the older man remained unconcerned by his attitude.

"Then _prove it_." Kakuzu retorted deeply, his serious gaze finally meeting Hidan's glare which eased off into a thoughtful look.

**/*\*/*\**

"I don't like the idea of teaming up with you either, but it's the most logical thing to do in this situation." Mogoi sheathed his sword, he crouched down next to Ao, getting out a small cloth and bandages he began cleaning and dressing his shattered arm.

Shinko snorted loudly "You don't have time to be sitting there dressing his arm, they could come here any minute now, that's why your team-mates fell and changed because you're all wasting valuable time in talking and licking your wounds!"

Mogoi jumped to his feet, stalking over to Shinko, he grabbed her by her bad shoulder "Shut your goddamn mouth you Vampire bitch!"

Shinko winced from the sudden pain of his fingers digging into the deep cuts she'd received from the Werewolf before she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

He instantly let her go and stumbled back a few steps in shock from her strength.

When he looked up at her next, he was surprised to see the same two men from the first time he'd hunted Shinko by her side again, wearing the same cloaks. He touched a hand to his cheek gently before he turned and walked away to his companion.

"Oi, fucker! Try and touch my girl again and you won't even have a head anymore!" Hidan called cattily to Mogoi, though the other male paid no heed and ignored the trio.

"What are you two still doing here? Go and hide if you know what's good for you!" Shinko rounded on them with a harsh cry, but was only fearing for their safety, she didn't want to lose them.

"We're staying and fighting whether you like it or not. Just as you don't wish to see us hurt, we won't stand by and watch you die either," Kakuzu stated.

"Besides, you didn't honestly _believe_ you could get rid of us that fucking easy did you?" Hidan stated with a cocky smirk and sent her a wink.

Shinko stared at them before sighing, she muttered "Fine. But if you want any chance of surviving then you'll need a weapon that's made out of silver…"

Kakuzu grunted before pulling out some senbon from his pouch, whilst Hidan smirked and produced his pike and extended it, ready to use.

"I didn't realise your pike was made out of silver," Shinko murmured.

"It is, but it also has some other properties or some shit, that's why its colouring is dark rather than light." Hidan explained, having never really paid much attention to his choice of weapons unless they were broken or needed sharpening.

"You _must_ make sure you stab them with silver, if not, then it'd be pointless even defending yourself. If you don't hit a vital spot, then I suggest using explosive tags, which _should_ finish them off." Shinko muttered as she pulled out a few tags and gave a couple to both Hidan and Kakuzu not even bothering to wait and see if they had any of their own.

"Explosions? Man, we could've used Deidara's stupid fucking clay here!" Hidan groaned, pushing a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Shut up Hidan, there's no point in dwelling on that now, we should just focus on what we have and can work with," Kakuzu grumbled.

"I don't know why, but there's something in silver that prevents the Werewolves from rapid healing and it stops their immortality, though from what my grandpa told me, it only lasts for so long." Shinko explained, wearing a tired smile.

"What can I do to help?" Mogoi asked solemnly from where he was kneeling.

"You? You've done enough; you protect your _last_ team-mate." Shinko hissed at him, if it weren't for the Hunters interfering then she and her peers could've been on their merry way by now.

"After all, you're only human yourselves." Shinko muttered, after hearing a howl coming a little ways from them, judging by the distance, she gathered they were closing in.

Kakuzu got up and went over to Mogoi, deciding he should get a few pointers on what he could actually do to bring one of those mighty beasts down _without_ getting himself turned into one in the process.

Shinko watched after him but she looked round to face Hidan when she felt his hand tug at her wrist.

They stared at each other silently, his other hand tracing along the wound on her right collarbone, then across her now slightly burnt skin to her cheek, resting it there gently.

"You shouldn't look so worried, I've got your back covered." He muttered calmly.

"I'm not worried for myself; I'm worried for you…and Kakuzu." She answered sadly; slowly she was beginning to regret getting them involved like this.

She'd known ever since she was a child that she wasn't meant to exist, a hybrid, she was unnatural; tainted.

She never knew her parents, they'd died when she was a mere baby, leaving Tadashii to raise her alone, but she had remembered his words…

**/*\*/*\**

"_Grandpa, please tell me about my mum and dad, did they love me?"_

_Tadashii Hoshi looked away from the large window that gave him a perfect view of the moon towards the young child stood next to him, clutching that worn teddy bear of hers._

"_Of course they loved you, little one. You are their love personified. They never regretted having you." He replied steadily._

_Shinko frowned, her gaze travelled away from the floor and towards the large painting behind her; it was a painting of her parents._

_She sighed as she crossed the room and stared up at the painting "I wish I could've met them…"_

_Tadashii shifted to peer at her "I've always wished for you to meet them, they were so beautiful together."_

_Shinko felt a tug of pain pull at her heart as her eyes shifted to the faces of her parents, both of their expressions spoke of how content and happy they were, she could only guess at how much they loved each other._

_Yet she knew with a lingering sadness that her grandfather rarely spoke of them because it hurt him too much. He'd lost his only son and daughter-in-law in one night, it'd been a bitter blow and she knew even at such a young age that it must've nearly sent him out of his mind with grief._

_Such were the strong emotions of a Vampire._

"_Your father was one of the strongest Vampire's around, he was an expert with the sword, he was respectful and honest, but also kind, he was extremely honourable." Tadashii sighed and looked away from Shinko and up to stare at the face of his daughter-in-law._

_Shinko noticed his warm smile out of the corner of her eyes._

"_Your mother…she was such a warm human, her smile could light up a room alone, she was always smiling, always laughing. I dare say she was most happy here with your father and the love they shared…well, it was simply dazzling. A love such as theirs that should've been forbidden flourished beautifully and I don't regret your father ever choosing a human as his mate."_

_Shinko smiled a little now and turned to face her grandpa._

"_How did they meet, grandpa? Please tell me!" _

_His smile softened and he moved to stand next to her, his hand resting on top of her head as they both turned and faced the painting._

"_Well, many years ago, the Demon country used to be alive with wild flowers and enchanting forests, all sorts of otherworldly creatures dwelled there. In the heart of such a grand land, there was a village; your mother once lived there until her mid-teens. From what your father told me, she'd gotten herself lost one night and he'd found her, it was love at first sight and although both felt a strong attraction to each other, they didn't actually become mates until many years later. But during that time, your father courted her, he would meet her secretly at night and they would dance and sing together, they'd stroll together, talk and laugh, he often took her gifts, small trinkets at first so that her family didn't become suspicious."_

_Shinko's eyes widened dramatically and a happy grin spread across her face "Oh, a secret love! That sounds exciting!"_

_Tadashii smiled in amusement "Yes, I suppose you could call it that. When your mother became twenty-one, your father went to meet her family; he was going to ask their permission for her to marry him. But when he arrived, he found the village overrun with bandits and thieves, the village was set alight with fire and the screams of children and adult alike echoed the night sky. Your mother was found unscathed since she'd luckily escaped, but she was deeply traumatized, she'd watched her family be butchered to death before her very eyes and so, in an act of pure rage, your father called upon the ancient 'Gekkou' clan or 'Moon' clan to destroy the foul murderers."_

_Shinko looked horrified "Y-you mean daddy called the Werewolves? H-how?"_

_Tadashii's face was grim "In ancient times, Werewolves used to _serve_ the Vampires until they grew too clever and fought against us. Now, we no longer have control of them, but we still have the power to call upon their aide, though it is unwise, such a power held unchecked would only cause immediate destruction. And it happened. Your father called upon them to vanquish the evil that'd overcome Demon country, he fled with your mother back here as fast as he could and only from the sidelines did we all watch in horror as the mighty beasts tore through the land, killing all humans there. The fire spread across the forest and now the trees no longer live. The land is desolate of all life, what was left alive was hunted and eaten by the Werewolves and now, Demon country is theirs."_

_A long silence ensued as Tadashii shifted his mournful gaze to the painted face of his only son._

"_However, children of the villagers that had managed to escape and survive trained themselves and their own children to slaughter both Werewolf and Vampire alike. Their anger runs deep and their minds are solely bent on revenge for what we monsters have done to them. I suppose we are deserving of that fate."_

"_It couldn't be daddy's entire fault, right grandpa? He wouldn't do that, would he?" She begged in confusion, picturing her father being the level-headed and honourable Vampire that her grandfather described to her._

"_Not entirely," he agreed hesitantly "Werewolves have been around for millennia, just as have Vampires and humans, those beasts were ravaging many a land long before your father called them. But it was because of your father that Demon country is lifeless and riddled with beasts."_

_Shinko tore herself from her grandfather's touch, staring up at him with eyes full of hurt and accusation "You lie! It's not true, it can't be true! I won't believe it!"_

_Tadashii remained thoughtfully silent, staring at her with a regretful gaze before looking away, he stalked past her and out of the room calling to her "It is the truth and you should accept it, you are his daughter after all, the burden and atrocity of what occurred many years ago is now _your_ burden."_

_When the door shut Shinko finally allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks, she let out a long scream that swiftly died in her throat as she slumped to her knees, sobbing pitifully._

"_It's not t-true! I-I won't believe it!" She hissed to herself, trying with all her might to convince herself that Tadashii was lying. _

_Yet she knew in her heart that he wouldn't lie to her, he never lied to her, he always gave her the truth whenever she asked for it but she hadn't realised that by doing so he'd reveal such a horrid and terrifying secret._

_Just what kind of legacy had been thrust upon her? She's the daughter of a murderer!_

_Oh, but not just any murderer, his evil had destroyed a whole country! _

_The very reason for the Demon country being lifeless was because of a reckless decision her father had made and now because of him, Werewolves and her own kind were being slaughtered in a blood thirsty war._

_She lifted her head to numbly glance up at the painting once more, studying it with new eyes._

_Her father had the same white hair as her grandpa and it was the same white hair she'd inherited from him, his eyes, she could see, were of a dark ebony-grey in the light of the picture. His hair was short and he wore a rather old-fashioned tailored suit, with a cape and a red rose held in his jacket pocket._

_Her father was stood next to her mother, his left arm around her waist and his right hand held hers, it looked as though they'd just finished dancing._

_Her father was the epitome of handsome, his features and hair pale like the moonlight with eyes that were dark, holding a deep mystery to his soul._

_Her mother, whom she'd always known had been human, was still very beautiful, her long pale blonde hair glistened with good health and her eyes were of an extraordinary shade of baby blue. Her skin wasn't deathly pale as her father's and hers, but was rather milky and held a creamy hue to it that made her look alive. She was dressed in a pale lavender gown, it was of a simple design, it hugged her chest and had slightly puffed shoulder pads, the sleeves to her dress were long but not baggy, her dress from beneath her chest flowed freely. She had an expensive looking pair of diamond earrings that dangled and sparkled. Her mother was some inches shorter than her father and her face didn't look as stony or harsh._

_In fact, her expression was warm and welcoming, Shinko somehow knew that her mother was a gentle soul, someone who'd soothe the pain of others rather than inflict it._

_She wished to be like that, to be human, to have a heartbeat and have eyes that sparkled when she smiled, to have skin that could tan in the sun should she wish it and to be accepted by others._

_She no longer wanted this life filled with darkness, deceit, loneliness and anger._

_She wanted a life in the sun, filled with happiness, love and freedom._

_A normal life. _

That_ is what she wants._

**/*\*/*\**

"Shinko? Oi, Shinko!"

Hidan's voice made her snap back to reality and she blinked up at him, noticing his curious and concerned gaze.

"You were spacing out; it looked as though you were sleeping with your bloody eyes open!"

"Sorry, I was just remembering something…from long ago." She murmured and looked away, feeling the usual tugs of pain pull at her dead heart.

His hand clasped gently onto her chin and turned her to face him once more "What is it?"

She stared at him for a few moments before a small smile tugged at her lips, shaking her head she replied "It's something and nothing. I'll tell you later."

"You promise?" Hidan lifted an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I promise."

"Good!" Hidan leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and sighing deeply.

She felt the familiar flutter of warmth and happiness.

Her father may have caused catastrophic events, but she understood now that he did it with the best intentions at heart; he'd wanted to purge the evil in the land when his beloved had almost died from said evil.

Either way, there was no denying her father's love for her mother, at times; she liked to think that her parents would've done the same things she'd done if they'd been in her position.

All her life she'd questioned what she was and whether she should exist or not, but that no longer mattered in the face of true love.

Here, she had someone who loved her and wanted her to remain tied to him forever, Hidan made her feel things she had never felt and to face her problems rather than run from them, he was hers as she was his.

Such a love could not be forgotten; she would fight for this love and prevail!

Shinko felt courage flow through her once more, she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her lips gently upon his, she understood that anything could go wrong at any time, but she would never regret being here with her beloved.

For once, she wanted to be selfish.

For a few moments, Hidan remained still and allowed her to shower him with affection, letting her set the pace and experiment. It felt like an age since they'd last shared a passionate embrace.

Eventually, Hidan's arms snaked round her midsection carefully-still aware of her burns and pulled her closer to him, he slowly deepened the kiss, making her feel dizzy, but loving the feel of him against her.

He was her metaphorical rock to lean on.

"Ahem!"

They both broke apart from each other as they saw the exasperated, knowing look from Kakuzu and the rather disgusted stares of Ao and Mogoi.

"Sorry," Shinko muttered, but didn't glance in the direction of the two Demon Hunters; they were the least of her problems right now.

She reluctantly stepped back from Hidan, right on time as well, for the werewolves suddenly sprang out from the trees, all three of the beasts charging towards them.

"Remember what I said! Don't let them scratch you!" Shinko called as both her companion readied themselves for battle.

Shinko took the initiative, partially thinking of being a distraction to the beasts which would give Hidan and Kakuzu more time to come up with a plan.

She ran at the blonde Werewolf that she took to be female, for one of the others that must be Henshin had a dark auburn coat and the other-most likely Hiebei had a deep pink/red coat.

Her plan proved worthwhile as all three came straight for her, no doubt thinking her to be easy pickings-especially with the battle wounds she'd already received prior to their arrival.

However, she launched herself into the air just in time to miss being stabbed by multiple _silver_ senbon needles that her companions threw, it was the perfect distraction.

The two previous Youchi clan members howled in obvious pain and slowed in their movements as they now split apart from the lead female to charge at Hidan and Kakuzu, leaving Shinko and the blonde Werewolf alone.

The lead female stopped in her tracks and snarled at the Dhampir whom landed a few feet from her, Shinko hissed in return, baring her fangs in a show of dominance.

The blonde Werewolf was having none of it, now that her alpha and mate had been slaughtered; it was well within her rights as the remaining member to claim the territory as her own, especially now that she had the siblings changed into those of her own kind and under her direct control.

Shinko reached for her silver blade just as the lead Werewolf once again charged at her, the beast swiped its claws at her continuously, unrelenting in its attacks; determined to land a hit.

Shinko continued to dodge as fast as possible, though her movements had slowed considerably since before she'd even fought the alpha.

An explosion from behind them took away the Werewolf's concentration for but a moment and Shinko used this to her advantage as she swiftly brought the silver blade down into its head.

The beast thrived and howled in pain before slumping heavily to the ground dead.

Shinko gave a small hiss in agony, her muscles were aching terribly now, she needed to feed and her wounds were taking longer to heal.

Even so, she reached into her pouched and pulled out two senbon needles, stabbing them both in the Werewolf's shoulders _just in case_, she retrieved her knife, watching in some small triumph as its head wound bled profusely.

She watched as the body shifted back into that of a slender, naked woman with short blonde hair; she was incredibly beautiful despite the blood staining her forehead and golden locks.

"What a pity…" Shinko murmured to herself, for as much as she hated Werewolves, she also hated wasted beauty.

All Vampire's love beautiful things, that is why they're often dressed and surrounded with treasures that would be worth trillions if ever sold.

Without another thought, she pulled out three explosive tags, placing them upon the body; Shinko quickly jumped away from what was left of the once-blonde Werewolf and set off the tags.

The explosion was huge as fire lit up the dark night and engulfed the area with thick smoke; the sheer noise of the blasts took away any noise for a few moments.

"Shinko-_behind you!_" Hidan shout cut through the silence, his voice filled with absolute terror.

And then she felt pain.

Before she could even turn around, sharp claws stabbed through her back and out towards the front close to her heart.

Wordlessly, Shinko coughed up blood, a new fire burning within her that it made any and all conscious thought difficult to create.

However, in her daze, she watched as Kakuzu fought against the other Werewolf, it was Hiebei, he had it wrapped in black ropes, restricting its movements, he set explosive tags on the beast and retreated in time for them to set off and destroy it.

All that was left were charred remains that'd now returned to what looked to be human form.

He then turned and looked in her direction and stilled.

She noticed Hidan stood further away from Kakuzu, but closer to her, frozen to his spot in horror, eyes wide and glassy; a clouded, empty gaze stared almost through her as if he couldn't see or recognise anything around him anymore.

All this happened within a space of a few seconds and then Shinko barely felt herself being lifted up into the air.

Henshin-for that is who it was, grabbed one of her bare legs and held her at an angle above him that showed he was going to break her spine against his bent leg.

She couldn't move, her body felt numb, she could only dangle and watch helplessly as the beast was going to finally get his revenge and kill her.

She felt her eyes sting a little with tears, she sincerely wished that out of everything that could've happened, that her love didn't have to witness her death.

"Hidan! Snap out of it-damn you!" She heard Kakuzu's voice in the distance of her foggy mind and would've smiled if it weren't for how anxious and worried he sounded.

And then the beast winced and howled in pain, only now noticing Mogoi stood closest to them, he'd thrown a couple of senbon needles that he'd found embedded in the ground, ones that'd obviously missed their targets.

Shinko saw through dazed eyes the explosive tags attached to the senbon needles in Henshin's shoulders and felt a squeeze of fear as well as longing.

'Kill us! _Do it!_' Shinko all but begged, if she could speak she would scream at them to just get it over with.

Her eyes met with Mogoi's for a long moment, silence filtered around them as he stated quietly "How easy this would be, killing two birds with one stone…"

Yet he didn't set off the tags, instead he gave her a solemn stare and backed away slowly, ignoring the snarls Henshin was sending his way.

And then there was a bellowing roar as Hidan threw himself at the monster, sinking his silver pike into the beast's stomach, it howled in agony, shoving Hidan away from it luckily with no injury.

Shinko fell from its claws and rolled away on the ground before stopping in a heap, unmoving, her blood flowing freely on the cold ground.

Henshin attempted to pull out the pike but was suddenly engulfed in a bright explosion and smoke, Kakuzu having been the one to set the tags off from a safe distance.

In her dreamy state, Shinko heard voices as she felt herself easing in and out of consciousness for what was only a few seconds at a time, but felt like days.

Strong arms pulled her into a warm embrace and she found herself looking up at Hidan, his expression full of panic, she tried to speak, only her mouth moved a little in an attempt to form words and a little more blood trickled out from the corner of it.

"S-Shinko, ohh Jashin…y-you stupid-! _Why_ didn't you move like I told you too?!" Hidan's voice quivered with emotion, his throat tightening almost painfully as he willed with everything that he had to _not_ cry.

She gave a small smile and just barely whispered "Maybe…I'm not as…invincible…as you think…"

He gave her a watery smile of his own, though it was forced "How can you fucking joke at a time like this?!"

Her eyes lowered a little and she gave a small sigh, though he mistook it as her last breath and quickly shook her for all he was worth.

"No-no-no-no-no-no, don't you fucking _dare_ die on me! I won't damn well let you! You hear me?!"

"I…hear you…" she rasped, looking up at him once more, his sigh of relief eased her worries that he'd be better off without her, it was pretty obvious by now that what sanity he had left would disappear altogether.

"H-Hidan…?"

"Yes? What is it?" He almost begged.

She hesitated, uncertain about whether she should ask or not, it wasn't something she ever planned on doing, but she had no other choice.

"I-I…I'm hungry…and…dying…let me…_finish_!" She managed to hiss lightly when he went to open his mouth with a denial waiting upon his lips.

His mouth closed tightly.

"I-I need…blood…"

His eyes widened in surprise before he tore his eyes from her and glanced about him earnestly "Shit, there's nothing here, baby!"

His gaze then fell upon the remaining Demon Hunters who were both stood talking to Kakuzu quietly, their bodies turned slightly away to give them some privacy.

"Unless…I can get you one of those two guys-" he was cut off by the feel of her head shaking in his arms and he turned his tortured gaze upon her once more.

Was she rejecting his offer? Even at the cost of her own life?

He almost protested, wanting to say that those two bastards didn't deserve such kindness and pity, that is, until she murmured "N-no…I-I want…your blood…"

And he could swear his heart almost stopped.

**/*\*/*\**

"To think…it's all over…we've come out a lot worse off than we originally planned…" Mogoi spoke sadly, his arm around Ao's waist, allowing the slightly shorter male to lean against him on his good side.

"Killing them was a kindness, after what they'd become…it's no life." Kakuzu spoke for the first time since he came to stand near the two males, aiming to keep a close eye on them so that they didn't attack Hidan when he was on the verge of a breakdown and Shinko while she's at death's doors.

Of course he longed to comfort and speak to Shinko as well, but he understood the necessity of giving the lover's their privacy, especially in what could be Shinko's last moments alive.

He'd already decided that should Shinko die, then he'd break every last bone in Mogoi and Ao's bodies, he'd torture them slowly and leave them to be eaten by the very creatures they hunted for sport and revenge.

He wanted to sew up her wound but remembered Shinko's words saying that Werewolf attacks _burned_ Vampire's, realistically he needed water to cleanse the wound and they barely had enough to wet a piece of cloth.

"Yes…I am glad to know they are at-peace…" Mogoi replied reluctantly, feeling uncomfortable in the large man's presence.

Never before had he seen a man so tall and broad as the masked one before him.

"We will not forget their sacrifice," Ao spoke with echoes of sadness deep in his voice, it was obvious from their emotions that although their team had, had many differences of opinions, they'd still valued each other and perhaps had been friends.

"Will she heal?" Kakuzu demanded, his eyes narrowing upon the males, telling them in no uncertain manner to _not_ lie to him or he'd rip out their entrails.

At least that's how he hoped the look came across; it always worked on everyone else-even Hidan had the common sense not to push him at times.

"It really depends on her will to live, she is heavily wounded and seems to not be healing as fast as those of the Vampire race usually do," Mogoi explained sparing the quickest of glances at the Dhampir resting in the arms of her lover, whom looked so distraught.

It was such a moving scene that he felt a twinge of sympathy for them, their love was blatantly obvious, it spoke volumes in the way the albino male was holding his love. It reminded him of how much he loved Ao, cousin or not, Ao was still his lover and he'd give anything to see him alive.

"Or perhaps she is just too exhausted to pull through this…"

"You don't know her; she's a fighter not a quitter." Kakuzu defended heatedly, an uncharacteristic move on his part, since he was never one to blurt out his anger so easily, often it would store up until he boiled over and went on a rampage; killing anything his hands could reach.

Although he left out the minor detail that in the last few months, he'd seen Shinko be tested so many times physically, mentally and emotionally, that he wasn't too sure whether Mogoi was right or not…

The possibility that the arrogant bastard could be right in his guessing sent a cold shiver down his spine.

**/*\*/*\**

"Y-you want to…to…EH?!" Hidan exclaimed in shock, just realising what exactly Shinko was asking of him and dreading the consequences it would hold afterwards.

If she had the energy Shinko would've either rolled her eyes or laughed at his bewilderment.

"I-I need…to feed…but I want…to taste you…p-please?" She begged quietly, watching as his pale face suddenly flushed with the innuendo and remembering that extremely pleasurable experience back on the ship.

"I won't…change you…and…I won't…drain you…completely…p-please, j-just enough…to heal…" she pleaded once more, her raspy voice quieting as she could literally feel her strength fading.

Oh, she felt so tired, all she wanted to do was close her eyes and rest…perhaps even sleep for a little while…

She couldn't do that though, she knew deep-down that should she even consider falling asleep, she'd never wake up again.

Hidan looked conflicted, his eyes shifting about everywhere, his teeth biting into his bottom lip, before he gave a heavy sigh "You promise nothing bad will happen?"

Shinko gave a small tender smile; her hand that was rested across her mid-section rose until it touched his bare chest and stopped over his heart.

"I promise…" she whispered.

With great reluctance, he hefted her up in his embrace until she was sat up properly, though still supported by his body.

Hidan leaned down towards her and presented his neck in a vulnerable manner, which made Shinko humble, never before had Hidan submitted to anyone; his stubbornness disallowed for such a thing to take place. Yet here he was, offering himself to her, letting her use him in any way she pleases.

His heartbeat was accelerating fast, even more so when he felt her cool, blood-stained lips touch his neck, searching for an artery.

"Don't be…frightened of me…Hidan…I-I would never…hurt you…" She murmured soothingly against his, her cool breath sent shivers across his skin and he found himself relaxing a little.

His tense body slowly loosening itself, he knew from experience that when tense and wound up, anything that happened to body would hurt a lot more than it would if you were relaxed.

It was then that her fangs pierced his neck and upon reaction, he tensed and immediately flinched, he hadn't expected it to be such a sting, though when her lips curved against his skin almost like a kiss, he found the stinging pain edging away.

He could feel his blood being taken as she sucked at his neck hungrily, however, he could tell that she was holding back for him.

He trusted Shinko to not do anything potentially harmful to him; she knew how unhappy and reluctant he was about letting her drink his blood.

It was unusual really, considering how much he liked pain and gore, only not his own gore. Despite always ending up in messy situations, he was always immaculately clean.

He enjoyed inflicting pain on others and didn't mind the pain in return, but that didn't mean he wanted to display his innards for the world to see.

He soon began to feel warm and a little heady, it was beginning to feel good; pleasurable even and just when he thought he couldn't take much more before he threw her to the ground and ravished her like a wild beast, she pulled away from him.

She gave the little wound a lick, watching as it healed and only left two white round scars upon his neck, it would be virtually impossible to spot unless you were directly next to him.

And Hidan didn't like many people within his comfort zone, unless you count fighting.

His face was a little pale and his neck felt a little tender, but otherwise, he was fine, though he turned his anxious gaze onto Shinko "will you be okay now?"

He could see that already her skin was looking less deathly pale and that her wound had already stopped bleeding, though it wasn't healing yet, but she had a smile on her face and replied "Yes…thanks to you, I will be."

She noticed his chest puff out in pride; clearly he liked the idea of having done something useful and receiving praise for it.

He then gripped her to him in a strong hug, burying his face into her long white locks "Jashin be praised…I'm so happy!"

She returned the hug with a little less strength so she didn't aggravate her wounds.

It was now that Kakuzu's approaching footsteps were heard as he stopped beside them, looking understandably curious.

When Hidan finally relented and pulled away, though kept her close to him, she stated "I'll be fine now."

Kakuzu's heaved a long sigh, his shoulders sagging a little as if he'd just unloaded a crushing weight from his back, then his eyes lit up and Shinko imagined he might be smiling underneath his mask.

"That is good news; I thought I'd be left alone to babysit the idiot."

"Oi! I'm not a fucking child bastard!" Hidan pouted for affect.

"You certainly act like one," Kakuzu surmised, shaking his head, looking every bit of a long-suffering parent as one could get and it make Shinko giggle quietly.

"EH?! You _agree_ with this old geezer?!" Hidan whined to his fiancé.

"Well…you do have a tendency to act immature…" Shinko couldn't suppress the grin from spreading across her face.

"Whaaaaaat?! That's not fair, I call another vote! You're both clearly ganging up on me!" Hidan sulked.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes "It's a shame there isn't a cure for stupid."

"I heard that money-fucker!"

"Once again you're just proving my point." Kakuzu sounded amused, eyes narrowed in glee at Hidan's obvious suffering.

Shinko just shook her head and found her gaze catching onto the two Demon Hunter's that stood a little away from the trio, watching them silently.

She blinked in surprise, not expecting them to have remained, she would've thought they'd have high-tailed it outta here long ago.

Mogoi and Ao kept their distance, though the taller of the two spoke to Shinko "You have our thanks for helping us, Shinko Hoshi, because you have done so, we will no longer hunt you. But know this, if you so much as step one foot out of line in future, then others will come for you. We cannot stop the anger for what your race has done to our once beautiful homeland. However, we leave you now with no grudge,"

Shinko nodded silently in understanding, she watched them turn and leave, possibly heading back to the coast and disappeared within the fog.

"Well, that's one less worry for us now," Shinko muttered, feeling utterly relieved that her dispute with the Demon Hunter's was finally put to rest, at last, she can finally move on with her life.

Hidan and Kakuzu nodded solemnly in agreement, she sat up on her own now, feeling her strength slowly returning.

"Now you will listen to _us_, we will stop so you can rest for tonight and then tomorrow, we'll see your grandfather." Kakuzu ordered, using his superior size and threatening glare to coerce her to agree.

However she didn't need much persuasion, she really didn't think she could walk yet and definitely didn't want to greet her grandpa looking like she'd been mauled by fifty dogs and dragged through a few bushes backwards.

"I'm sorry you both got dragged into all of this, but the sooner it's done, the quicker we can get back," she spoke with a positive note in her tone.

"It'll be just like old times!" Hidan stated, remembering when they first took Shinko back with them to the Akatsuki.

"Yeah, well, this time it'll be a lot different, at least back then you weren't such a big whiny baby." Kakuzu stated, as he turned and slowly began walking away from the couple.

Hidan glared at the comment, as he stood up, picking Shinko up into his arms easily enough and snapped "Aw, shut up!"

Shinko smiled knowingly, of course the two men couldn't go a few minutes by without insulting each other, honestly, it felt like she was travelling with a couple of stubborn children a lot of the time.

But she loved them both dearly all the same and could no longer picture her future without them in it.

"Regardless, I still love you just the way you are, whining and all," she muttered, giving him a peck on the cheek, which immediately lightened Hidan's mood as he called to Kakuzu "Hey! You hear that Kakuzu? I bet you're fucking jealous, you old retard!"

"Stop exaggerating Hidan or I swear I'll force medication down your throat." The threat was light-hearted, which they all picked up on as Hidan now grinned cockily "Heh, I'd like to see you fucking try!"

Shinko shook her head; sometimes she wondered why she bothered defending her childish mate when he brought misery upon himself.

'Well, people do crazy things when they're in love,' she mused to herself and couldn't help smiling at the thought.

Ahh yes, crazy things indeed.

* * *

**A/N: Woohoo! I'm glad this heffa of a chapter is outta the way, I'm looking forward to starting on the next chapter, I'm hoping in the next update they shall be at Tadashii's home! :D Let me know what you think! Ideas are always welcome!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	38. Welcome Home?

**A/N: Hello there! Yes, I am alive, well, for the most part, haha! I'm sorry I haven't updated previously to this, but I've had a lot going on, mostly to do with my health and work, it's been a rollercoaster these last few months. I also had writer's block for a long while, until last night when I suddenly gained inspiration to continue on with this chapter and lo-behold! The next installment is here at last! I will also point out to you that there is OFFICIALLY 2 CHAPTERS LEFT to this story-one of which is an epilogue-WOOHOO! :D I'm so excited to finish this bad-boy once and for all. Would you believe that I started typing the first chapter to this story 5 years ago? Well anyway, at long last, this will soon be over and I will definitely tie up all loose ends-enjoy! :)**

**MANY THANKS TO; 'Guest', 'Sommer-hopeless romantic', 'Guest' (no.2) and 'MzPearlz' for your reviews! I was touched by how much you all seemed to enjoy this story and I'm ever so grateful for your support! :D**

**A SPECIAL THANKS TO; 'MzPearlz' for spamming my inbox with all your reviews! XD Seriously, it made my day with each review on every chapter and what you thought of them-most of which were quite funny and random :D I hope this chapter pleases you!**

* * *

**Summary: **Tadashii Hoshi; a royal Vampire was in debt to Akatsuki. As well as money, he gave them his granddaughter, begging them to take her away for her safety. Now, four years later, Shinko is a subordinate to the criminal organization, but, something isn't right. As the past of her grandfather and her real parentage catch up to her, who can she turn to for help?

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own or make any profit from this story; I only own the plot-bunny and my own characters (those being; Shinko Hoshi, Tadashii Hoshi, Jarl and his sisters, Arata, the Kinzoku clan, the Youchi clan and the Gekkou clan). Seriously, if I owned Naruto it would make a heck of a lot more sense.

**WARNING(S):** There WILL be some MINOR spoilers in this chapter if you're not up-to-date with the Manga; you have been warned so I don't expect any flames for this.

**Part Thirty-Eight: Welcome Home?**

After spending that night resting in a cave that they'd found about two miles away from where they had fought against the werewolves, they were prepared for the travelling to get to Tadashii's territory.

They were all outside in the bright, yet sickening sun, Kakuzu and Hidan's stomachs rumbling loudly from lack of food, they each took out some biscuits and began munching on them silently.

Shinko merely rested outside the cave they'd slept in the night before, her arms and legs crossed as she was sat on the ground, her eyes closed as if she were meditating, but Hidan knew from experience that she was simply caught up in her thoughts and was listening out, just in case anything were to come near them.

The fog had cleared completely; this made them all rather wary, whoever had been casting the fog jutsu was no longer using it as surveillance.

Shinko was certain they weren't being followed, once again, they'd covered their tracks and had been extra-careful not to make too much noise, yet whilst healing, her senses had dulled slightly to compensate for lack of blood she'd needed.

Ever since the battle from the night before they hadn't seen or heard anymore Werewolves and it appeared that the Demon-Hunters had stayed true to their word and left them alone to continue on with their journey.

That in itself was a blessing from above, something that Hidan wouldn't stop gloating to Kakuzu that Jashin was the reason behind their sudden turn of good luck and Shinko's return from the brink of death.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes and muttered "Yeah, because Shinko's ability to heal had nothing to do with it."

Hidan glared at him, stopping in his monologue, before brushing a hand through his hair "You know Kakuzu, I think you should just admit it." Hidan started again, whilst chewing on one of his biscuits, both sat opposite each other as they munched away at their rather plain breakfast, what they wouldn't give for some rice and curry!

Kakuzu paused in his eating then looking at Hidan, he gave him a cold stare, then snarled "If this is about your damn God, then don't bother, I hear enough of him when I'm on every other mission with you as it is."

Hidan smirked slightly, then stated "Yes, but I just don't understand why you don't accept it? I mean, after all, it's not like any other fucking God out there has helped any bastard out in their pathetic lives like mine has."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes and stated "That's probably because only _you_ believe in him, so he has more time to deal with your shit than anyone else's."

Hidan glared at Kakuzu and was about to snap something else at him, when Shinko interrupted them calmly "When you two are both done bickering like children, we will leave."

"Does it look like we're fucking done, woman?" Hidan snapped, still in a bad mood from his debate with Kakuzu, there was just no helping that guy!

Shinko raised an eyebrow, staring at Hidan as he chewed rather vigorously on another biscuit, she suddenly felt grateful that she weren't that biscuit.

If she listened hard enough she could swear she could hear it screaming in pain.

Kakuzu looked between his partner and their subordinate, the tension between them rising, he knew Shinko held no blame to Hidan; the guy was just a bitch when nothing went his way, even so, he made a tiny effort to relieve the tension.

Surely Hidan being angry at him was better than him being angry at Shinko?

After all, Hidan was always angry at Kakuzu; they were just too different to get along.

"Hidan's just sulking because I don't give a crap about his religion." Kakuzu stated in a 'here-we-go-again' tone as he addressed Shinko, which he knew Hidan would react too-he always did.

"Yeah? Well, you won't be fucking saying that in the afterlife!" Hidan snarled at him, both men glared at each other silently.

"Look Hidan, someone must've forgotten to tell you as a kid, so I'll spare you the suspense, Religion is based upon a lie that someone made up centuries ago, the words are made to tempt weak-minded individuals into believing that the 'God' in question exists, when realistically it doesn't." Kakuzu explained smugly.

"Fucking heathen…if that was true, then how the fuck do you explain my immortality?" Hidan's eyes burned brightly in anger, once again attracting Shinko's attention but figured that he wasn't in enough trouble to actually warrant any help.

Kakuzu rolled his eyes "It's obviously a bloodline technique, like Itachi's Sharingan and Konan's paper. But in your case, someone must've told you that it was because of this pathetic God of yours."

"Lord Jashin is not pathetic, you cock-sucker! It isn't a bloodline technique because my parents and my grandparents and my great-grandparents and even further back hadn't had fucking immortality, I have to _pray_ to Lord Jashin for this, by having immortality I have to give him sacrifices and spread his terror across this stupid-arse planet." Hidan glowered at his partner, though the other male merely raised an eyebrow and questioned "You mean, you're Jashin's bitch?"

Hidan jumped to his feet, grabbing the handle of his scythe, whilst Kakuzu jumped up, already his arm hardening to protect himself from the blades just as Shinko appeared in-between them, glaring at both of them; they paused.

Shinko had never been more disappointed in her life, she'd accepted years ago that Hidan and Kakuzu would never get along, even so, in foreign lands with an army of violent monsters hiding and just waiting to pounce on them-they had to be careful.

They still didn't look as though they were going to settle down, realising this, she bared her fangs at them and hissed loudly, first she took some strides to Kakuzu, almost smirking at how he backed away from her a little, once he was a decent space away from where they'd been sat, Shinko turned to glare at Hidan, he looked shocked and as she took some paces towards him, he was rather alarmed as well; he too instantly backed away from her.

Now that there was a massive gap between them, she calmed herself down, her features relaxing and returning to normal as she snarled "I know asking for you both to stop arguing is like asking for Hell to freeze over, however, you forget of the dangers here, if you both want to get yourselves killed do it somewhere away from me, I don't want to be some _dogs_ next meal-understood?"

She first looked to Hidan, he looked hurt for some reason, though gave a small nod, seeing the hurt in his eyes, she read his mind like an open book; it spoke of her not caring if he died-to which she groaned and retorted out loud "Of course I care if you're hurt Hidan, but you've gotta stop reacting to what he says, not everyone is gonna believe in your religion, you're just gonna have to accept that."

She quickly sent a heated glare towards Kakuzu, knowing not to let him off lightly either "And _you_, Stop provoking my mate!"

Kakuzu snorted at this, seeming to have recovered from his initial shock at how violent she'd become, though the way he was avoiding looking at her in specific made it obvious that he would perhaps concede to her wishes.

"Let's get the fuck out of here!" Hidan exclaimed clearly having had enough of the debate, he walked off away from them, until Shinko called out "Erm…Hidan?"

He snapped his head round and stared at her curiously, she stated "You're going in the wrong direction. It's this way."

She pointed to her right, Hidan twisted round and narrowed his eyes at her, Kakuzu smirked at his expression, then got up and went off in the direction Shinko was pointing too, addressing Hidan "I'm so glad _one_ of us knows where we're going."

Hidan growled loudly, Kakuzu smirked to himself and actually started whistling aloud, almost in an act of innocence, though it was pretty obvious he was anything but that.

Shinko hesitated, following after Kakuzu since he was in a better mood than Hidan would only set to make her mate unhappy, yet with his snappy attitude this morning, she deemed it best to keep her distance until he cooled down.

Hidan ground his teeth together and followed swiftly after them, not wanting to lose sight of them and end up lost, his temper was still high and he began muttering curses to himself.

It was only about twenty minutes later that his mood finally cooled, slowly, and he would often find himself staring at Shinko's back, half-expecting her to turn around and talk to him.

But she didn't.

She still continued walking on, even after an hour of silence, she still didn't say anything, and neither did Kakuzu, which surprised him, after all, he'd expect Kakuzu to start talking to Shinko to deliberately wind him up-it was something the older man relished in after all.

Kakuzu looked round at Hidan, giving him a smirk under his mask-which was a little pointless since his expression was covered by his mask, as if hearing the thought, he waited for Shinko to catch up with him.

Once she was at his side, he began talking quietly to her, deliberately keeping Hidan out of the loop, as if he were whispering a dirty little secret that could ruin Kakuzu's reputation.

Well, whatever was left of it.

Hidan glared at Kakuzu, he was doing it again!

Shinko laughed at something, making Hidan wonder what it was, was it about him? Or was it generally something funny?

Why did he fucking care so much?!

Oh yeah, because he loves Shinko.

This time, Shinko leaned up to almost whisper something in Kakuzu's ear, which made the older man smirk beneath his mask once more, though the devious glint in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by the male albino.

'She's too close to him,' Hidan thought, feeling a surge of jealousy and anger wash over him, in reality, he wanted to join in as well, but his ego would be bruised to accept defeat; he didn't want to look like he cared, it really didn't bother him if they were talking about him, after all, with the earlier display, he knew Shinko would defend him...a little and Kakuzu? Well, the fucker would no doubt say shit about him that weren't true…or may be half-true…

Why was he even making excuses for them?!

The whispering and laughing went on for another ten minutes, Hidan tried to not notice, biting the inside of his cheek and focusing his attention on a rock or a particularly strange-looking dead tree, but every time his gaze focused back on them, they were still in their own little world and it pissed him right off.

He couldn't tell whether they were doing it on purpose or not, Shinko-probably not and he didn't even need to answer for the money-whore.

Hidan puffed his cheeks out and pouted, before he then yelled at them "You guys piss me off sometimes!"

That caught their attention, Shinko looked round at him-hardly looking surprised; no doubt about it, she'd been listening to his thoughts and had continued on as if everything was just fine. Though she did blink at him-as if she were confused by his sudden outburst.

Kakuzu merely sent him an icy stare making Hidan groan in annoyance.

"Why the fuck do you keep staring at me you bastard?!" Hidan snarled at Kakuzu.

Kakuzu shrugged and answered "Because you're loud and annoying," with that said Kakuzu went on ahead calmly, no longer caring if he got lost.

Hidan's eyes lowered to the ground and sulked a little, it seemed that no one ever wanted him around, was he really that irritating?

He didn't mean to be annoying and loud half the time, but it was just in his nature to react…in a big way and he always spoke his mind, regardless of who it was.

Looking up from the ground, he noticed Shinko waiting for him this time, and felt his mood lift lightly, at least now he wouldn't have to put up with her and _Kakuzu_ acting like the love-sick fools. He would no longer be ignored.

He walked to her side and they continued after Kakuzu, glancing down at her from the corner of his eye, noticing how relaxed she looked, her wounds had healed up nicely and although she struggled to move as fluidly as she normally would as well as still get the sharp pains in her mid-section, she was almost back to normal.

It was amazing how much his blood had helped her and he couldn't help wondering why.

She noticed his staring and having heard his thoughts, she smiled lightly, taking his hand in hers as they walked along.

She could see it made him feel a lot better, his body no longer tense.

"Thanks to your own immortality and fast healing, your blood accelerated my own healing abilities, usually this wound would take at the very least a few days to heal, but with your blood it's made the process much faster," she explained quietly to him, having noticed his curious staring, she hadn't been able to help but listen to his thoughts.

"Wow, it really did all that?" Hidan looked stunned.

Never before had he known of his blood _helping_ anyone, he always figured that it was just…there.

But knowing that his blood flowed in her veins and had helped her heal faster…well, it made him ecstatic and proud.

He had done that, no one else, not that prodigy of an Uchiha, not Kakuzu's stitching and medical knowledge or Deidara's so-called 'art', no, it was him.

Curiosity got the better of him as it always did, for he leaned down and whispered in her ear "What were you two talking about?"

Shinko gazed up at him and answered with a brighter smile "Kakuzu was deliberately trying to wind you up and sadly it worked. He was just telling me about a mission you both had a year before I joined, when you went into a tomb and found a shiny ball on a pedestal; naturally _you_ went and grabbed it locking you both in the room."

Hidan let out a small chuckle, giving her a sheepish look he replied "What can I say? It looked quite pretty, besides, if I hadn't taken it then Kakuzu would've done, we got out just fucking fine, the only reason he was bitching so much about it was because he didn't take it first!"

Shinko rolled her eyes "Of course it was dear, it obviously had nothing to do with the fact you attracted unwanted attention and got caged like mice."

Hidan snorted "I refuse to acknowledge that comment."

Shinko giggled a little, his teasing always did lighten up the dark moments.

"How much longer will it take to get there?" Hidan asked after another five minutes of walking through the dark, dead forest that seemed endless.

"If we keep walking, we should be there by this evening; we're already past the borders of Void as it is." She stated; looking ahead, staring at Kakuzu's back, surprised that he'd left them to talk, though it was well-known that only Shinko was capable of calming and silencing Hidan.

Hidan sighed, knowing that it was going to be a very long day of walking, but didn't complain, since the others were no doubt fed-up as well.

Wait…was he actually being considerate?

What is the world coming too?!

**/*\*/*\**

After travelling for the best part of a day, Kakuzu, Hidan and Shinko stop to rest for a few minutes, figuring they only had a few miles left, they decided to have a quick break for a snack.

Shinko was for once sat with them as they ate, after her near brush with death, she finally decided to let loose a little and not be so uptight, and luckily they hadn't heard or seen any Werewolves since the night before.

Kakuzu was lost in deep thoughts, his hands fiddling with their map and a crinkled piece of paper, jotting some notes down every so often. He was tolling up the costs, trying to count up how much it would cost for the return journey and if they had enough rations to spare until they crossed back over the sea.

He was also looking for ulterior routes home, ones that would get them back safely and without delay, they'd be very lucky if the shinobi overseas had given up the hunt for them. But they're Akatsuki, so it was unlikely they'd stop looking for another month or so.

Meanwhile, Hidan paused in his snack, glancing at Shinko; he whispered "Do you think Tadashii will be happy…about _us_?"

Shinko turned round to face him and found his magenta eyes filled with worry, she had known for some time of Hidan's hesitancy, but had left well alone, since at the time it was something he needed to figure out for himself.

She paused for a moment, reflecting on how her grandfather had acted when he'd spoken of her taking a mate, he had wanted her to do it of her own freewill and not because she was being forced to conform to her race's ideals.

"He may be a little…surprised, but he won't be angry, how can he? It was my-_our_ choice, no one else's," she replied quietly, her eyes shifting away from his face down to her lap; a wistful expression stretching across her face.

"He's only ever wanted the best for me and that may seem like a lot to live up to…but in all honesty, I could've done a heck of a lot worse, besides, I couldn't be with a normal human, what with my…urges and all…it would never work out."

His hand snaked out to grasp hers and he leaned closer to her, his mouth next to her ear as he murmured "I wouldn't let anyone else have you, especially now…"

In answer to him, she smiled and stated "I don't want anyone else."

**/*\*/*\**

It was now evening, the stars twinkled above them as the fat moon glowed lazily, the mist was still significant, but it couldn't detract the sight of the large iron gates in front of them.

The last few hours had been walked in silence, each of them kept to their own thoughts, yet there was now a positive feeling, Kakuzu was satisfied they'd all make it back in one piece; otherwise he could always make a proposition to Tadashii about gaining some funding in return for any services he may need of their skills.

Hidan was a bit more at peace of mind now that Shinko had settled his concerns, he still knew deep-down he would never be good enough for her, but that wasn't going to stop him, he would prove himself, he'll do whatever it takes to be with her.

Shinko was stunned, here she was, finally at home, where she belonged, yet it still felt rather alien to her, she had missed her grandfather terribly, it'd been too long. But she was finally home and felt very much at peace.

The gates were left unlocked as usual, Tadashii had found little point in locking them in the first place, it was very rare for anyone to trespass onto a Vampire's territory and judging from the old scents left by her grandfather, even fewer would attempt such a thing.

It was incredibly risky and stupid for anyone to challenge a pure-blooded Vampire, make that an ancient pure-blooded Vampire.

"Ladies first," Kakuzu pushed the gate open on a noticeable creak that almost made them wince, well, if Tadashii didn't know they were here before, he certainly did now.

Shinko took a deep breath in a small attempt to give her some courage, she could do this, she belonged here, he would be happy to see her, he wouldn't turn her away, she hadn't come all this way just to chicken out of it now.

She took to the front of them and trod along the dark path, the light fog swirled about her feet as she made silent and even steps towards the main entrance; looking about herself as she did so.

It all remained the same, the plants alongside the path were still dead and lacking in any vibrant colour, there were no flowers here and the manor before them remained eerily silent and dark. There was some faint light emitting from behind closed shutters and curtains, she guessed that her grandfather must've known they were coming.

Why else would he bother with the lights when he could see in the dark himself?

They finally stopped before the main entrance, pausing a moment, each of them half-expecting the doors to open by themselves like they do in the horror films, only they didn't.

Without waiting for a command, Shinko raised her hand and banged on the door loudly a few times, before crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Are you sure that will…err…_wake_ him?" Hidan asked with some hesitancy, the knocking had sounded loud to him, but he'd been in this mansion before and it was ginormous within, surely it'd take more than a few bangs to gain Tadashii's attention?

"Sensitive hearing, he'll hear it." Shinko answered in a matter-of-fact tone, silencing all further inquiries.

They waited for many long minutes, until Kakuzu spoke up "Guess he didn't hear us, open the door."

The large iron doors opened with a little push compared to Shinko's enhanced strength, both the men watched wordlessly as the doors revealed the interior of the mansion that hadn't been seen in almost five years.

Shinko straightened herself and allowed the happy smile she'd been holding within to break out upon her face, despite how exhausted and sore she felt, the sight of her old home brought a well of happiness to her that nothing else ever could.

Finally, she was home at last.

It all looked the exact same, right down to the last detail, the grand interior shone with health and looked as though it'd been recently polished and cleaned, the gold chandelier looked brighter than she remembered, the floor reflected the lights above and the priceless artifacts held in their cases glistened of gold and silver.

Not a speck of dust could be seen-even with Shinko's keen eyesight, everything remained flawless as it had done the day she'd left.

The dull scent of incense and polish entered their noses, a welcome scent compared to the dank dirt and sharp cold winds and the damp fog they'd endured for the last two weeks or more.

The strange warmth that ebbed from within was more than enough incentive to get inside away from the dangers of the outside world.

Hidan whistled "Still the same, damn, you're fucking lucky Shinko, your grandfather sure has good taste!"

Kakuzu nodded in agreement-probably one of the very few times they ever would agree on anything.

A deep longing settled over Shinko's dead heart, but she found herself smiling in-spite of pining "Thank you, grandpa has always had immaculate taste, especially for the finer things in life, he is a rather avid collector, anything with a good story to it, he'd always keep it."

Kakuzu glanced over the many statues of gold and silver, the decorated ornaments in glass cases and murmured "How did he amass such a fortune to afford all of this?"

Hidan rolled his eyes, his silver eyebrow twitching in annoyance "Is money all you ever think about?!"

"Tadashii…he's thousands of years old…in fact, even I don't know his real age, he never told me…" Shinko admitted lamely.

"Huh, maybe he's sensitive to his age?" The Jashinist guessed.

"Not everyone is as sensitive as _you_," Kakuzu sent his partner a knowing look.

"Fuck you, Kakuzu!"

"Ew, no, I'd rather shag a porcupine." Kakuzu wrinkled his nose beneath his mask, neither was appealing but he would rather turn to beastiality rather than sleep with the zealot any day.

"That can be arranged bastard!" Hidan seethed, his face going red in anger, even more so at the insinuation his work partner had made.

"Would you two stop bickering for one moment, please?" Shinko ignored Hidan's affronted expression as she glanced about herself, turning her head this-way and that, sniffing as she did so, before stopping and sighing.

"I guess grandpa isn't here, I'm sure he'd have come to see us by now if he was," she frowned as sadness bubbled within her.

She longed to see her grandfather, it'd been too long since she'd last embraced him and heard one of his many stories, but now she'd have her own stories to tell him.

"Maybe he's sleeping?" Hidan suggested with optimism.

"With your potty mouth? No one can sleep through _that_." Kakuzu answered with a suppressed groan of suffering, for he had endured many missions of the male albino's constant shrieking and swearing.

"One more fucking word, Kakuzu and I swear I'll wipe that smirk off your damn face!" Hidan snarled, his hand itching towards his scythe.

"How do you know I'm smirking?" Kakuzu's eyebrow rose in curiosity.

"Because I can hear it in your damn voice, stupid prick-!" Hidan's retort was swiftly cut off as the large iron doors behind them slammed shut with a resounding crash, causing all three occupants to jump violently and whirl round to stare at the doors in defensive stances, each looking for a potential enemy, yet they found none.

No one was stood anyone near the doors and there hadn't been anyone outside either.

"Huh…that was weird…" Hidan murmured, his magenta eyes glancing about everywhere at once, before he turned to Shinko "is this place haunted?"

She gave him an unimpressed glance "Honestly Hidan, just because my kind are physically dead, doesn't mean we allow ghosts to haunt our homes."

"You mean there really _are_ ghosts?!" Hidan asked wide-eyed with interest.

"Not here, but ghosts _do_ exist or rather their presences, for example, if someone died brutally with much sorrow or anger, then that place they died in will always have that feel to it, some hauntings are even violent in replaying what happened or how they felt at the time of their deaths." Shinko explained as she relaxed her stance and sent both men a small smile.

"I don't believe it." Kakuzu stated.

Hidan rolled his eyes "Oh Jashin! Here we go again! Is there really _anything_ you believe in?!"

"Only in facts and reality, I believe in things I can see and touch not half-assed theories and rumours."

"Why you-?!" Hidan started, but Shinko cut in as she placed a hand on his arm to gain his attention "it's okay, Hidan, not everyone believes in such things, I myself have never seen a ghost, but my grandfather has and I believe him."

"And of course we can't help but believe in his stories."

They all tensed and whirled round to face the large staircase, expecting to see Tadashii coming down the steps to great them, but instead, they were met with Jarl as he stopped upon the middle step of the staircase, his somber expression making Shinko react violently.

"Why are you here?!" She bared her fangs threateningly, her instincts telling her to rid this trespasser off of her kin's territory, so strong was the urge, that Hidan's staying hand had no effect on her swift temper.

"I will answer in due time, my dear, but first, I am sure you are all weary and wish to feed and rest-" his pleasant voice was cut off by Shinko's snarl, her eyes flashing in fury "you _dare_ trespass here and act as if you own this territory! _Get out now_!"

"Now-now, my dear, you mustn't allow your temper to get the better of you, I come here with good intentions, believe me." Jarl spoke calmly, not once moving from his spot.

"I don't see your invitation and there'd be no way my grandfather would leave _you_ here in his territory alone!" Shinko shouted, every instinct within her was screaming to dispose of this unwanted guest.

His head tilted to one side, though his eyes lit up in amusement; mocking her.

That was when she acted, she almost phased from where she was crouched, jumping into the air towards him, she aimed a punch at his mid-section, hoping to wind him to give her enough time to find a weakness in his defence.

Only she didn't get the chance, his hand grabbed her fist from where she was now stood in front of him and the world seemed to pause around them.

A frown worked over his handsome face and he made a tisk-ing sound in his throat "that was a _very_ silly thing to do, little one."

Her eyes widened as his own suddenly flashed with power before he twisted her round to face her comrades and with the grip on her wrist he pulled until a resounding 'crack' was heard and her scream bounced off the walls.

He'd pulled her arm out of its socket with nothing more than a slight tug, his face became emotionless and there was no satisfaction in what he'd done.

Having still not recovered from her wound completely from the previous night, she slumped in his grip and he released her; allowing her to collapse down the stairs.

"Fucking bastard!" Hidan bellowed as he took his scythe from his back and without another signal, he and Kakuzu charged at the foreign male; seeking to shed his blood and make him suffer.

Jarl met them head on; dodging Hidan's scythe as he violently swiped the air to cut him for his ritual as well as Kakuzu's dark rope-like threads that shot out with the aim to grasp onto a limb and restrain him.

With a heavy sigh, Jarl elbowed Hidan in the nose hard, a loud crack was heard and his screech of pain joined after, but the male half-Vampire wasn't done with him yet. He then kicked the Jashinist in the stomach sending him flying away from the staircase, across the entrance hall and into the double doors opposite them with a loud clatter, hitting the back of his head as he did so; he fell to the floor unmoving.

"Hidan!" Shinko whimpered from where she was sprawled on the last few steps of the grand staircase, noticing the lack of movement and struggled to move and go to him.

She couldn't tell whether he was seriously hurt or not, but judging by the way he was slumped unceremoniously on the floor, she could guess that he may have been knocked unconscious.

Kakuzu meanwhile narrowly dodged a fist to his jaw which would've been broken if he hadn't have moved in time, only this lapse of thought cost him dearly as Jarl sent his other fist into Kakuzu's stomach causing the miser's eyes to widen and double over; coughing and struggling for breath.

It'd been well over twenty years since anyone had been able to wind him so easily, he believed he'd no longer meet anyone of immense caliber and strength to do such a thing with such ease and grace. Kakuzu would've admired such a move if it hadn't had him slumped on his knees almost leaning towards this unknown male in an open manner.

He'd never even met the stranger before, but from Shinko's reaction he gathered they'd known each other, even Hidan's expression-enraged as it was-had been filled with recognition, which meant he'd been introduced to this dark man stood calmly before him at some point in the past.

"I really _do_ detest unnecessary violence," his smooth voice spoke up, breaking Kakuzu out of his deep thoughts and looked up at the male before him.

"W-who the h-hell are you?!" Kakuzu struggled for breath and his voice sounded closer to a whimper than a demand.

The dark male gave a pleasant smile that appeared rather forced "I am Lord Jarl of the Eastern house, a half-Vampire much like Lady Shinko," he gave a brief nod in her direction without breaking eye contact with Kakuzu "I am an…acquaintance to Lord Tadashii and come here not with the intention of fighting but as a…friend of sorts…"

"You will never be a friend to _me_…" Shinko's voice had both men looking at her as she was now knelt next to Hidan's prone form, a gentle hand resting against his cheek, but her eyes were shining in fury and glared at Jarl with hate.

Kakuzu couldn't help but blink in shock, this man…he was like Shinko? But…he'd thought she was the only hybrid of human and Vampire co-existing between the two species; she'd certainly never mentioned of him before and that there were others like her.

"What a pity, however, I must speak with you privately, so if you don't mind," Jarl turned his attention back on Kakuzu "I apologise for the discomfort, but it really is necessary."

Before Kakuzu could ask what he was insinuating, Jarl brought his knee up sharply under Kakuzu's chin, snapping the miser's head backwards with such brutality that it almost snapped it clear off his shoulders.

Kakuzu fell backwards upon the stairs unconscious.

"You…you _cretin_!" Shinko screamed as she moved away from Hidan, her eyes blazing with shock, fearing for Kakuzu and despite still hearing his heart beating faintly, she worried as to whether that last hit had left any lasting damage to him physically.

"Oh my, such colourful language and not as such should be heard from a Lady of your caliber," Jarl all but taunted, though his expression remained hardened and belied no humour.

"Damn you! If you've done any long-lasting damage to them, I'll-!" Shinko was cut off as he snorted "You'll what? I believe you cannot do anything to me at this moment, little one, I'm not the one on my knees clutching at a dislocated arm," he waved his hand when he noticed her eyes flashing at him once more-as if to wave away the chaos he'd created.

"Regardless, I'm not here to fight, I'm here to talk."

"After what you've done; I don't want to hear anything of what you have to say, not now-or ever!" Shinko retorted.

He paused for a few moments and just stared at her, his eyes shining as they were and as gorgeous as they had always been remained focused on her and it sent a strange chill down her spine.

Something about that look…she had a feeling that whatever he had to say wasn't going to be good…at least not for her.

**/*\*/*\**

Lord Jarl had walked away from the gathering in Tea country in defeat, he hadn't been successful in winning Lady Shinko's heart after all this time of loving her from a distance. He hadn't stopped thinking about her for years and now he found her in the arms of a damned human and not just any human but a criminal-a murderer-a psychopath; scum of the human world.

It was a large blow to his pride and one he hadn't expected, he'd thought that Shinko would still remember of their meetings all those years ago with fondness and some semblance of happiness.

Yet it appeared by her reactions that she wished he didn't exist.

Tears filled his eyes as he felt his heart break slowly, it was slow and brutal, the full-force of rejection only now entering his mind. She didn't want him and probably never did.

No, that wasn't true, she had wanted him, all those years ago…but it was thanks to Tadashii that she was sent away from her homeland and from him, she had been around human's for much too long, she'd grown soft under their care.

But she was still as beautiful as ever, she was every bit of a young woman as he'd hoped her to be and she'd looked stunning in that blue gown; a true vision.

But not his…never his…not anymore…

A sob threatened to break from his throat and he paused in his strides, he had moved away from the gardens and was now making his way into the forest surrounding; making his leave, only it was slower than he'd hoped.

His fists clenched, he'd envisioned carrying her off into the night and back to his home, introducing her to his older sisters and getting her acquainted with the new life she'd lead as his wife and life-mate.

All those dreams…those hopes…his future, it was all gone, _just like that_ and it was all thanks to that damned _human_!

Anger bubbled up within him, cold and unrelenting, before it began to burn and simmer at the brim of his consciousness.

How could he have just walked away like that?! She must certainly think of him as a pitiful fool, limping off into the darkness from where he'd spouted out of; licking his wounds in misery while she danced the night away with that _human_.

Unacceptable!

He couldn't accept such a union!

True, his own parents had such a union, but he would not allow Shinko to lower herself to scum like that _human_, she was a Lady, of noble birth regardless of her mixed blood and deserved recognition of such a role; she deserved better.

At least with him, she wouldn't be forced into a life of crime and running, always fighting to survive, no, with him, she'd live a life of wealth, peace and love, he'd give her everything and anything she desired…within reason of course, but he'd devote himself solely to her.

He turned with the intention of returning to the ball and confronting the couple once more, he had to at least fight for her love; he hadn't spent the last four years searching for her to give her up so easily, but instead of catching the distant sight of the palace, he instead caught sight of a red eye shining at him through the shadows of the trees.

He paused in his steps, having not sensed the presence behind him unnerved him, the gleam in the shining orb had a maliciousness to it that almost sent a chill down his spine if it weren't for the fact that he was of a breed which hunted and ate like monsters themselves.

In the face of Werewolves, he found little to be afraid anymore.

A dark chuckle met his ears as a tall figure stepped out from the shadows, the form was dressed in an a black tuxedo, no skin was on show-aside from his ears and from little of it he could see, the man was rather pale in complexion. The man wore an orange swirly mask with only the left eyehole on display and that was where the red eye was hidden.

"I see your meeting was not to your favour, what a pity." The man mocked.

"Who are you?" Jarl spoke with authority, for he could smell what this man really was…only he was half of a man, it seemed half of him was engineered through some other matter, yet the part that was still human reeked of madness; a type of long-suppressed anger that had yet to burst forth.

Being some centuries older than Lady Shinko, he had developed further abilities than her own-ones that he was sure she would attain as she grew older and gained more experience-in a way, he'd hoped to be the one to teach her those abilities.

"Does it matter who I am?"

"Maybe...maybe not, but I'd certainly like to know whom I am to address in this conversation…" Jarl quipped, his tears long gone now in the presence of such a mocking figure; a mere human, this one was testing his patience.

"Very well," the man bowed with practiced grace "I am Madara Uchiha, co-founder of the Leaf village and prior head of the Uchiha clan until their…fairly recent demise…such a _pity_."

It was clear that this Madara felt anything but remorse for his kin's demise, if anything, Jarl would hazard a guess that he'd perhaps helped in the massacre.

Oh yes, he'd read up about the Uchiha clan, in fact, Jarl had read about all the powerful clans in each country, despite not usually having the urge to travel, he had to learn them regardless because of his search for Shinko. It was a necessary back-up in case ran into any of them along his travels.

And he knew for a fact that this man was not Madara Uchiha as he claimed to be.

"Impossible, Madara Uchiha is long-dead and I know you are lying to me," Jarl hissed, his eyes flashing bright blue in the darkness in warning.

The fake Madara cocked his head before murmuring "does it really matter? All you need to know is that I am an Uchiha, but I have not come here to fight, oh no, you see, I come here with the bearer of some news that might play in your favour."

"I'm listening, but be quick about it," Jarl ordered, feeling restless, if this man held him up much longer, Shinko would be long gone and he'd may be searching for another four years to find her whereabouts once more.

"Very well, Shinko and Hidan-her…what was it she called him? Life-mate? Yes, well, I happen to know that he's already proposed to her-" Jarl cut the Uchiha off with a snarl.

"_What did you say_?!"

The Uchiha merely chuckled and waved an idle hand at him, as if to brush of his anger, which only served to infuriate Jarl even more.

"Oh please, don't act so surprised, she's already chosen him as her mate, I'm sure marriage was only the next reasonable step…but-and listen closely, this next part's important!" The Uchiha wagged a finger at him mockingly.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Hidan and Shinko will want to…pay a visit to her grandfather to seek his acceptance, after all, that is what one would do as royalty, it is to be _expected_…"

"And why should this matter to me?" Jarl grumbled, his eyes narrowing into a glare.

"Because! I know why you're _really_ here and what you haven't told her, let's face it, you couldn't bear to break her heart, especially when you learned she's in love with Hidan…of all people," the Uchiha shook his head in disdain before continuing.

"Why should _you_ do all the running around? Think about it; why not let her come to you? You'll be in your own environment, it'll be in your favour and by that point, they'll have been so warn out from travelling non-stop they won't put up much of a fight should things get…out of hand."

Jarl became thoughtful, was she really planning on marrying that scum? Was she _that_ serious?

But yes, he knew she would return to her homeland, she would need Tadashii's approval before any union could take place and he could easily intercept them; he would gain the element of surprise.

"What's in it for me?" Jarl raised his gaze to the red eye which he could almost swear scrunched up in glee.

"She will be all yours, but first, you must tell her the truth, she has to know, it's the only chance you'll have in taking her for your own, she'll be so vulnerable that she'll have no choice but to turn to you."

Jarl raised a dark eyebrow in suspicion "this seems very generous of you to forewarn me and create a…plan, but what will you get out of it?"

The Uchiha snorted "Right now, as you're probably aware, she is a part of a criminal organization known as; Akatsuki, she's surrounded herself with elite criminals and has committed many violent acts upon their behalf. I merely want to be rid of her for good."

Jarl bared his fangs "what do you mean by that?"

"Simple really, I am the true mastermind behind Akatsuki and I'm sure she suspects as much, now I want you to convince her to stay with you, she knows too much and I can't afford to have all my plans be thrown away to nothing because of one little _girl_. If you fail to do so, then I will have to take matters into my own hands and get rid of her _permanently_."

"You _dare_ suggest such a thing in my presence human _scum_?! I will rip out your entrails, feast upon your blood and leave you to the crows!" Jarl snarled, hands curling into fists as he readied himself to lunge at the human.

Only the Uchiha didn't move "that is why I came to you first, she is no longer of any use in my organization, she knows too much and has little left to offer. Very soon, the world as we know will be thrown into chaos and war and I will be at the center of it; controlling every aspect. But if you wish to keep her alive and are willing to get her out of my way, then by all means…persuade her…seduce-rape her if you have too, but if she returns from this trip alive…then I _will_ destroy her."

"If you dare so much as harm her, I will-!" Jarl was cut off as the Uchiha began to shift out of focus, swirling into the eyehole of his mask, though before he completely disappeared his voice called to him "you don't have much of a choice."

Lord Jarl remained where he was, having been stunned at how the human had disappeared before him with such a calm disposition, he found his body shaking.

But not out of fear, oh no, he was shaking out of anger, this human cockroach _dared_ to order him about like an underling? As if he was not royalty?

But what bothered him the most was the threat to his beloved's existence, despite not knowing this man personally, if what he said was true and that he was the one pulling the strings behind Akatsuki then he must be powerful…more than possibly Shinko could handle.

Although the Sharingan wouldn't work on her or himself either, that didn't mean that the Uchiha didn't have a backup plan.

Heaving a long sigh, he turned, bright eyes narrowed into the distance as he made purposeful steps back towards his homeland.

"Well-played _scum_, but you will not win either way." Jarl snarled aloud, fervently hoping the Uchiha could hear him.

**/*\*/*\**

Jarl opened his eyes and gave a long sigh, staring out across at Shinko as she glared at him with such viciousness; he somehow knew his plan would no longer work.

But that did not matter, he only needed to reveal the truth to her and she would then become more reasonable.

At least he hoped so.

"Listen to me, please…I'm begging you to at least listen to what I have to say, after you may do as you please," he pleaded, trying his best to sound and look as sincere as possible.

"And why should I?" She snapped, her glare unrelenting.

He shifted in his stand upon the staircase "because what I am to reveal to you now…no, you deserve to know the truth-regardless of how you may feel about me afterwards."

She removed her hand from Hidan's cheek, barely noticing how her mate twitched a little, she got to her feet and with a forceful push from her hand, she snapped her arm back into its socket with a loud hiss.

Jarl watched in admiration as she rolled her shoulder a little, wincing only slightly, before taking slow steps towards him; only to stop at the bottom of the staircase.

"I am sick of your interfering and riddles, go ahead, tell me what you have to say then leave at once."

He bowed his head to her in acknowledgement "if that is what you wish, then so be it."

He took a deep breath "Lord Tadashii Hoshi is no longer with us," he watched as her fell into shocked confusion, he came down a little closer to her, stopping short a handful of steps, wary of how violent she may react.

"He is dead."

She laughed then, loud and clear, it was a painful and bitter laugh, a hand held onto her side as if it hurt to laugh so boisterously and only when it died down did her eyes flash brightly at him with murderous intent.

"What did you say? I _dare_ you to speak up of your lies again!"

His heart fell; she didn't believe him and the hurt he suppressed was heard in his voice as he retorted "I dare?! I think it is _you_ who dares! You believe I would jest about such a thing? Especially when I know how much he means to you-how much you adore him?!"

Her face faltered then as her expression morphed slowly into one of horror, upon seeing her hurt, his eyes softened and his voice became gentle "I am so very, very sorry Shinko, but he is dead-!"

Her scream cut him off, her hands shot up to the sides of her face as she screamed in anguish, she then tore past him up the staircase, he whirled round to call out to her, wondering where she was rushing off too, but when he saw her turn left at the top of the staircase, he knew where she was going.

His dead heart ached in pain, this wasn't how he wanted to tell her, he had hoped to do so quietly and away from others, where she'd be of a calmer state of mind, yet here she had been, angry-oh so very angry at him and he hadn't been able to calm her down.

She'd been very insistent on knowing what he had to reveal to her, she had even wished for him to leave right afterwards-not a chance!

He glanced at her companions and decided to carry them up to their own guest rooms; it was obvious that they would remain for at least a couple of days to recuperate.

And he still had to dissuade her from returning back to Akatsuki for her own safety.

**/*\*/*\**

Her screams had died down, choked upon her own sobs as she lay strewn across her grandfather's bed, burying her face as deep as it could go into his pillows and sheets, sniffing desperately for the once familiar scent to her.

It was faint, but she picked up on it, of wood and polish, of something old and memorable; of home.

Her heart squeezed painfully and she sobbed harder, her body shaking and her mind racing, she could not see through her tears as there were so many.

She had known subconsciously that something hadn't been right all along, she had known that for certain upon entering Void, he hadn't been the one conducting the fog, he hadn't been the one to greet her upon her return and he hadn't lived to see her become the mature and self-reliant woman he'd envisioned her to be, he'd wanted to see her mated and with children.

She had always known that he longed for the mansion to be filled once more with laughter and happiness, to have children running amok the place.

His only child and daughter-in-law had been taken away from him too soon and he'd been left to raise Shinko all alone with no guidance, he'd wanted to see her family and her happiness.

She should've been here; she should've come home sooner! Why did she wait so long?!

It'd only been what? Three or four years ago when she'd almost killed herself from the sharp ache in heart-so very much like the one she was feeling now-as though she'd lost someone dear to her and she had…

Her sobs stopped for a moment in harsh realization and she felt deeply sickened, had she felt-even back then the moment of his death?

Vampires were very emotional creatures and could sense a lot of the supernatural, they could see, hear and smell things that no one else possibly could.

So could she have perhaps sensed his death and in such agony and shock went to take her own life as a way of coping or perhaps there'd been that secret desire to join him…to follow him into the afterlife.

Knocks were heard upon the large double doors and Jarl's voice came from outside "My Lady, I must speak with you…please…"

Despite feeling initial displeasure at him, she had an inkling he knew more of the story than what he'd revealed thus far and although she may not wish to hear of her grandfather's demise, she desperately longed to know that he'd died with honour and without being afraid.

The thought of him being frightened upon his death, wishing to stay alive, knowing that he had so much more to live for in life…it broke her heart all over again, she didn't think she could bare it if she knew he'd died alone and scared.

"C-c-come in!" She hiccupped through her ever-flowing tears and watched from the crook of her arm as he entered the room and gently shut the door behind him, he did not make a move to come towards her.

"First thing's first, I have taken the liberty of moving your companions to separate guest rooms where they will no doubt remain until the morning, I gathered you wouldn't wish for them to remain upon the floor all night," he was pleased to see her nod in agreement with him, though he felt pain at seeing her in such a distressed state.

"I am also here to explain what happened to Lord Tadashii…before he died…"

* * *

**A/N: Man, that was extremely depressing, but it had to be done, in the original version he still died, but his death was really silly and random, you never got to understand him as a character because in the original he was only ever mentioned briefly in context with Shinko. I hope I conveyed her grief well? But have no fear, there are only 2 CHAPTERS LEFT-one of which is an epilogue, I SO cannot wait to complete this story! :D**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


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